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No changes anticipated for Atrazine rules this spring

Farmers should expect no new federal Atrazine restrictions this spring.  The herbicide is in a lengthy re-registration review, which the Environmental Protection Agency says happens every 15 years.

Wisconsin Ag Department spokesperson Donna Gilson tells Brownfield they’ve heard nothing new from the EPA about Atrazine. “As far as the federal, we’re waiting along with everybody else.”

 

EPA documents show the last activity in the re-registration process was a pair of meetings in early January discussing the ecological risk assessment with Syngenta.

Wisconsin has several Atrazine restriction zones to prevent contamination of groundwater.  Gilson says farmers should expect no 2017 surprises.  “Right now, there’s nothing in the works.  For this season at least, the prohibition areas will be the same as they have been in the past several seasons.”

The EPA received 954 public comments.  Farmers say science proves Atrazine is safe. Environmentalists claim the chemical harms amphibians including frogs.

 

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