According to AG Web, corn farmers are deeply concerned over EPA’s recent report regarding Atrazine and its proposal to restrict the use of the approved, safe herbicide. In an ecological risk assessment, the EPA said the chemical was putting fish, frogs, plants and aquatic invertebrates at risk.The report immediately caused controversy among farm groups, who criticized both the process and the findings of the report. “Atrazine is one of the most studied pesticides farmers have,” said Ethan Mathews, director of public policy for the National Corn Growers Association. “There are 7,000 studies pointing to its safety and efficacy.”
Jim Zook, executive director of the Michigan Corn Growers Association stated that “the EPA is using studies that were found to be flawed by its own Scientific Advisory Panels, and proposing to severely restrict Atrazine use in the U.S., a proposal that would mean a de facto ban on this important tool. This would limit corn farmers’ ability to overcome weeds, putting our nation’s agriculture sector at an extreme disadvantage against our competitors. It would also increase herbicide resistance in weeds by forcing farmers to rely on a smaller toolbox of weed controls.”
EPA will likely announce its decision regarding the use of Atrazine in 2017.