Addressing the National Potato Council, EPA Agriculture Advisor Rod Snyder said pesticide issues take up the majority of his time. The agency is taking a different approach as it considers the Endangered Species Act while approving pesticide ingredients. “Maybe it’s not top-of-mind for growers each day, but it has big implications for the industry,” said Snyder. “Over the past 15 years, a number of lawsuits have been filed saying the agency hasn’t been complying with the ESA as we review pesticide registrations. In January, we issued a new policy that for new, active ingredients we need to be doing these ESA reviews up front and assess the impacts right away.” The EPA is also working on a long-term plan to bring existing products into compliance. Snyder spoke with the Red River Farm Network about chlorpyrifos, the Renewable Fuel Standard and Waters of the United States. Hear the full interview.