February 15, 2017
Members of House Committee on Agriculture
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Members of the House Committee on Agriculture:
The over 100 undersigned organizations urge your support for HR 953, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017, at tomorrow’s business meeting of the House Committee on Agriculture.
Pesticide users are subjected to the court-created requirement that lawful applications over, to or near ‘waters of the U.S.’ obtain a Clean Water Act (CWA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide General Permit (PGP) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or delegated states. HR 953 would clarify that federal law does not require this redundant permit for pesticide applications already authorized under federal pesticide law.
Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), all pesticides are reviewed and regulated for use with strict instructions on the EPA-approved product label. A thorough scientific review and accounting of impacts to water quality and aquatic species is included in every EPA review. Requiring water permits of federally regulated pesticide applications is redundant and provides no additional environmental benefit.
Compliance with the NPDES water permit also imposes duplicative resource burdens on thousands of small businesses and farms, as well as the municipal, county, state and federal agencies responsible for protecting natural resources and public health. Further, and most menacing, the permit exposes all pesticide users, regardless of permit eligibility, to the liability of CWA-based citizen law suits.
In the last three sessions of Congress, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act passed the House Committees on Agriculture and Transportation & Infrastructure, then went on to pass the full House of Representatives. We urge you to remove this unneeded regulatory duplication by again voting “YES” on HR 953, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2017.
Sincerely,
Agribusiness Council of Indiana
Agribusiness & Water Council of Arizona
Agricultural Alliance of North Carolina
Agricultural Council of Arkansas
Agricultural Retailers Association
Alabama Agribusiness Council
American Farm Bureau Federation
Alabama Farmers Federation
Alabama Forestry Association
American Mosquito Control Association
American Soybean Association
AmericanHort
Aquatic Plant Management Society
Arizona Nursery Association
Arkansas Forestry Association
Biopesticide Industry Alliance
California Alfalfa and Forage Association
California Association of Nurseries & Green Centers
California Association of Winegrape Growers
California Cherry Growers and Industries Foundation
California Pear Growers
California Seed Association
California Specialty Crops Council
California State Floral Association
Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association
Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association
The Cranberry Institute
CropLife America
Council of Producers & Distributors of Agrotechnology
Family Farm Alliance
Far West Agribusiness Association
Florida Farm Bureau Federation
Florida Forestry Association
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association
Georgia Agribusiness Council
Georgia Green Industry Association
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council
Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation
Idaho Grower Shippers Association
Idaho Potato Commission
Idaho Water Users Association
Illinois Farm Bureau
Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
Louisiana Cotton and Grain Association
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
Louisiana Forestry Association
Maine Arborist Association
Maine Landscape and Nursery Association
Maine Potato Board
Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association
Michigan Agribusiness Association
Minnesota Agricultural Aircraft Association
Minnesota Crop Production Retailers
Minnesota Pesticide Information & Education
Minor Crops Farmer Alliance
Mississippi Forestry Association
Missouri Agribusiness Association
Missouri Farm Bureau Federation
Missouri Green Industry Council
Montana Agricultural Business Association
National Agricultural Aviation Association
National Alliance of Forest Owners
National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Christmas Tree Association
National Corn Growers Association
National Cotton Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Pest Management Association
National Potato Council
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
National Water Resources Association
Nebraska Agri-Business Association
North Carolina Agricultural Consultants Association
North Carolina Forestry Association
North Carolina Cotton Producers Association
North Central Weed Science Society
North Dakota Agricultural Association
Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance
Northeastern Weed Science Society
Northern Plains Potato Growers Association
Northwest Horticultural Council
Ohio Professional Applicators for Responsible Regulation
Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association
Oregon Association of Nurseries
Oregon Potato Commission
Oregonians for Food & Shelter
Pesticide Policy Coalition
Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.
Professional Landcare Network
RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment)
Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association
SC Fertilizer Agrichemicals Association
South Dakota Agri-Business Association
South Texas Cotton and Grain Association
Southern Cotton Growers, Inc.
Southern Crop Production Association
Southern Rolling Plains Cotton Growers
Southern Weed Science Society
Sugar Cane League
Texas Ag Industries Association
Texas Forestry Association
Texas Nursery & Landscape Association
Texas Vegetation Management Association
United Fresh Produce Association
U.S. Apple Association
USA Rice Federation
Virginia Agribusiness Council
Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association
Virginia Forestry Association
Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association
Washington Friends of Farm & Forests
Washington State Potato Commission
Weed Science Society of America
Western Growers
Western Plant Health Association
Western Society of Weed Science
Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine
Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation
Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association
Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association
Wyoming Ag Business Association
Wyoming Crop Improvement Association
Wyoming Wheat Growers Association