U.S. Representative Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA), Republican Leader of the House Committee on Agriculture, and U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Republian Leader of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, are leading a bicameral effort calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rescind its decision to revoke all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos and ensure its future actions related to the registration or registration review of crop protection tools are consistent with the science-based, regulatory process required under EPA’s congressionally-mandated authorities.
In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, the Republican Leaders and their colleagues point out how the agency ignored the safety findings of its own career scientists when making its decision on chlorpyrifos which has caused tremendous stress for producers, who are already struggling to navigate the supply chain crisis.
“EPA’s blatant disregard for the work of its career scientists and the significant confusion the Agency’s decision has created for producers, channels of trade, and our nation’s food supply has inserted further uncertainty and stress for producers attempting to navigate the nation’s growing supply-chain problems at a time when producers are making key planting and purchasing decisions on hundreds of millions of acres for the 2022 growing season. The significance of the supply chain problems and impacts to the producers and rural communities cannot be overstated. As such, we request EPA rescind its August 2021 final rule revoking food tolerances for chlorpyrifos and proceed with reviewing current uses under its ongoing registration review of this chemistry,” the members wrote.
The members’ concerns are not limited to this single chemistry, and in the letter, they suggest the EPA has taken a “dangerous posture” on the valuable tools stakeholders and producers rely upon every day to produce the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world.
“Given these concerns, we seek your assurance that, going forward, EPA will not depart from its science-driven, risk-based, congressionally-mandated registration or registration review process of critical crop protection tools at a time when the supply chain is failing, availability of crop protection tools and other inputs is becoming more and more scarce, and record inflation is driving up the cost of production and, in turn, the cost of food for the consumer,” the members wrote.
Along with Republican Leader Thompson, the following House Agriculture Committee members signed the letter: Austin Scott (GA-08), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Rick Allen (GA-12), David Rouzer (NC-07), Trent Kelly (MS-01), Don Bacon (NE-02), Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), James Baird (IN-04), Jim Hagedorn (MN-01), Chris Jacobs (NY-27), Troy Balderson (OH-12), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Tracey Mann (KS-01), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Mary Miller (IL-15), Barry Moore (AL-02), Kat Cammack (FL-03), Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), and Julia Letlow (LA-05)
The following Senate Agriculture Committee members joined Republican Leader Boozman in signing the letter: Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Thune (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Mike Braun (R-IN).
To read the full letter, click here.
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