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Arkansas Plant Board considering emergency dicamba ban

The number of alleged dicamba misuse complaints continues to rise and the Arkansas State Plant Board (ASPB) is now considering an emergency ban on the herbicide.

As of Monday morning, the Arkansas Agriculture Department reports 87 alleged dicamba misuse complaints in 14 counties.

Terry Walker, director of the state plant board says prior to this year, the board had adopted stringent use policies for the herbicide.  “Now we’re seeing a lot of complaints coming in about the potential misuse of the product,” he says.  “The board thinks it is pertinent and proper at this time to do a review of those complaints and the situation in general.”

He tells Brownfield last Friday the Arkansas’ Pesticide Committee (a subcommittee of the plant board) voted unanimously to adopt an emergency regulation to immediately ban dicamba use.

Walker says the full state plant board will meet Tuesday afternoon to vote on the proposed ban.  “We hear from out in the countryside that are potentially being affected negatively by, at least in their mind the use of this product,” he says.  “They’re telling plant board members ‘you have to stop this’ because we can’t stand being hit like this.”

If the measure passes the state plant board – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson will still need to approve it.

AUDIO: Terry Walker, director Arkansas State Plant Board