Outside our industry, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has asked the full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to review a three-judge ruling that would require permits for pesticide use even if they are applied in compliance with pesticide labeling laws.
The ruling applies to farmers, but growers should keep their eyes on the case, too.
“Farmers should not need a permit under another law when they already are following an existing law,” says AFBF President Bob Stallman. “We are disappointed that EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency) has decided not to seek a legal remedy for this situation. The decision made by the three-judge panel in January will complicate farmers’ ability to farm, and raise their expenses without improving the environment.”
A permitting program also would impose a great burden on regulatory authorities because of a staggering increase in the number of new permit requests.
For more information on the ruling, click here.