EPA proposes early mitigations for herbicides

The US Environmental Protection Agency wants to protect more than 900 endangered species and their critical habitats from herbicide runoff and drift. At the same time, the agency wants to give growers the tools they need to control weeds. In a draft strategy released July 24 , the EPA attempts to strike a balance between the two while breaking a logjam in pesticide reviews. The strategy proposes early mitigation measures for herbicides, which are used significantly more than any other pesticides, including insecticides and fungicides. Such measures would be put in place before the EPA completes required consultations with the Fish and Wildlife Service, which often take more than a decade. Growers can choose from various practices, such as growing vegetation in ditches and capturing runoff in ponds. Less mitigation would be required on flat lands and in states where rainfall is low. The agency says the proposed strategy is