Source:  NC Agribusiness Council, 3/14/11

HR 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act seeks to exempt pesticides from Clean Water Act NPDES Permits.  Pesticides are already subject to regulation under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This bill would eliminate the duplicate permitting requirements under the NPDES permit and FIFRA.  The additional regulations provide no identifiable benefit to the environment and would cause undue burden on local governments, farmers, and small businesses. The bill passed unanimously out of the House Committee on Agriculture, which has jurisdiction over all things concerning pesticides.  It now goes to the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I), which has jurisdiction over all things concerning water.  Our goal is to get the bill heard on the House floor “on suspension” so that it gets an up or down vote.  To qualify for the “suspension calendar,’ the bill has to pass out of both committees with 2/3 support before it can be heard on the House floor. We need 4-5 Democratic members of the T&I Committee to support HR 872 BEFORE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16.  Please contact Rep. Heath Shuler and urge him to support this bill.  Click here for more info about this issue and a sample letter.

Rep. Shuler Contact Info:
Phone: (202) 225-6401
Fax: (202) 226-6422
Web: http://shuler.house.gov/