Search
Moving Forward with Dicamba
On October 31, 2018, the EPA made the long-awaited announcement regarding dicamba registration for use on dicamba-resistant soybean. I suspect opinions regarding the EPA actions are as varied as people’s views of the technology. Following are pertinent changes on the dicamba labels:
New dicamba restrictions
Updated on November 2, 2018
I feel obligated to write something about EPA’s dicamba announcement, but will confess at this time I still have several questions that I’m seeking answers for. But here are my initial thoughts regarding the new approach to dicamba management.
EPA retains all chlorpyrifos tolerances
Yesterday, the EPA announced it will not proceed with any restrictions for a commonly-used insecticide, chlorpyrifos. This includes no changes to chlorpyrifos tolerances in the U.S. In 2015, a petition to revoke chlorpyrifos was submitted to the EPA by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA). These groups questioned the health and safety of this organophosphate insecticide made by Dow AgroSciences. The EPA will move forward with updating and revising the human health assessment under their standard procedures.
EPA-Approved Worker Protection Standard Train-the-Trainer Course Available Online
An online course to help employers of agricultural pesticides train workers is now approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and has been updated to meet the training requirements of the revised federal Worker Protection Standard (WPS).
EPA Announces Final Revisions to Worker Protection Standard Regulations
On September 28, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the final revisions to the 1992 Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) regulation, which is designed to protect employees working on agricultural establishments from exposure to agricultural pesticides, both general and restricted use. The WPS must be followed when pesticide use is part of the production of agricultural plants on a farm, forest, nursery, or greenhouse.