Twenty agricultural groups are suing the EPA for denying the use of chlorpyrifos. Northern soybean, sugarbeet and wheat producers are part of the litigation. The groups are seeking an injunction of a rule that will take effect at the end of the month revoking all tolerances to chlorpyrifos. The groups ultimately want the EPA to vacate the part of the rule that conflicts with the 11 uses of the pesticide that EPA previously found safe. Chlorpyrifos is used by farmers to manage pests like soybean aphids and sugarbeet root maggots. In a statement, American Sugarbeet Growers Association President Nate Hultgren said chlorpyrifos is an important tool in the sugarbeet industry, based on EPA’s own safety assessment. If the tool is not available, ASGA Past President Dan Younggren told RRFN previously “if we lose chlorpyrifos there’s a big void, especially in my neck of the woods where sugarbeet root maggot will kill the crop. We don’t have anything else that will combat this.” Last fall, the groups filed formal objections to EPA’s rule. The groups wanted the EPA to have evidentiary hearings and to stay implementation of the rule until the objections could be formally considered.
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