Last week, DTN writer Emily Unglesbee reported that, “EPA has finalized its interim registration decision on glyphosate, once again stating the herbicide poses no risk to human health and can be used safely with certain drift mitigation requirements.
“The agency first proposed this interim decision in April of 2019 and accepted public comments until the following September. Now it has analyzed and responded to those comments and finalized the decision.
“‘After a thorough review of the best available science, as required under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, EPA has concluded that there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used according to the label and that it is not a carcinogen,’ the agency’s news release stated.”
The DTN article stated that, “However, glyphosate is not clear of all regulatory scrutiny just yet. The herbicide’s overarching registration review, which started in 2009, will likely push on into 2021, according to EPA’s website.
“‘EPA anticipates completing a draft biological evaluation for glyphosate by fall 2020 for public comment,’ the website states. ‘Final endangered species determinations are anticipated in 2021.'”
Ms. Unglesbee added that, “In the meantime, the interim decision brings some regulatory clarity to American farmers and chemical companies, amid a storm of global scrutiny of the chemical and a steady march of lawsuits against the herbicide Roundup and its registrant, Bayer.
“EPA’s interim decision lays out some new label requirements aimed at reducing the risk of glyphosate drifting off target during applications. They include a ban on spraying during temperature inversions, new wind speed limits, nozzle recommendations and boom length and height requirements for aerial and ground applications.”
