As EPA approaches a September 30 deadline to decide whether to act on a petition seeking a rulemaking or a formal agency interpretation for pesticidal seed treatments, NPC and other U.S. ag groups this week called on the agency to deny the petition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years treated seeds have been exempted from regulation as a pesticide as part of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The deadline is the result of a lawsuit filed by the Center for Food Safety and the Pesticide Action Network North America last December claiming the agency has not responded to a 2017 petition to regulate treated seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is no benefit to be gained by imposing duplicative layers of regulation on already-regulated products, as would occur should the petition be granted,\u201d the group wrote. \u201cConversely, there is real, significant harm that will occur to U.S. agricultural production; our food, fuel, and fiber supplies; the environment; and EPA\u2019s regulatory workload should the agency grant this ill-conceived petition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The letter continues, \u201cAs the agency knows, pesticidal seed treatments are already subject to robust regulation by EPA under FIFRA. Under the agency\u2019s treated article exemption, a treated article \u2013 in this case, the seed itself \u2013 can be exempt from regulation under FIFRA if the article contains or is treated with a pesticide; the pesticide is intended to protect the article itself; and the pesticide is registered for this use. Agricultural seed treatments satisfy all of these criteria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n