A recent Environmental Protection Agency draft report on atrazine does not take into account a large amount of scientific evidence that reaffirms the product is safe. The National Corn Growers Association’s Production and Stewardship Action Team says that sets a dangerous precedent. The team says federal law requires the EPA to make its decisions based on science, and the science is pretty clear. Atrazine is one of the safest and most effective crop management tools farmers have in their toolboxes. It is also one of the most studied products in history with 50 years of data available. EPA released its draft assessment in June.
All pesticides must be registered with the EPA, and be re-registered every 15 years. When the EPA drafted the assessment, the agency ignored several high-quality studies that showed atrazine to be safe. Instead, the EPA used studies its own Science Advisory Panel called “flawed” back in 2012.
Source: NAFB News Service