By Scout Nelson
North Dakota soybean farmer and American Soybean Association president Josh Gackle has expressed his disapproval of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) final Herbicide Strategy. Even though there have been some changes from the original plan, Gackle claims that the technique is still too complicated and could be expensive for American agriculture.
He pointed out that for producers and applicators to execute the plan efficiently, it could be made clearer.
Gackle also noted that the EPA's suggested distance for spray drift buffers, the number of mitigations required by law, and the type and cost of the runoff mitigations may not be adequately supported by the best available science.
He estimated that the strategy's implementation could cost U.S. farmers billions of dollars and introduce significant new challenges in accessing and using herbicides.
Additionally, Gackle expressed frustration over the EPA’s method of assessing the risk pesticides pose to endangered species. He highlighted that over 300 groups have criticized the agency's risk assessments as overly conservative, which leads to unnecessary restrictions on farmers.
The American Soybean Association appreciates that the new restrictions will not be immediately effective and that the EPA plans to incorporate them into future pesticide registration decisions.
However, Gackle emphasized the importance of the EPA meeting its legal obligations and ensuring the regulations are practical for agricultural use. The Association looks forward to ongoing discussions with the EPA to improve the strategy in future phases of implementation.
Photo Credit: environment-protection-agency
Categories: North Dakota, Crops, Soybeans, General, Government & Policy