EPA Approves New DOW Herbicide

The Environmental Protection Agency Approved a new Dow AgroSciences Herbicide, Allowing the Sale of the Controversial Technology

The approval of Dow's Enlist Duo weed killer, designed to be used with the company's corn and soybean seeds sanctioned by the Agriculture Department in September, came with what the EPA called "first-time ever restrictions" to help battle the problem of weed resistance. The approval Wednesday allows the herbicide to be used in six states, including Iowa and Illinois. The agency is collecting comments on whether to approve Enlist Duo in 10 other states.

In a statement, the EPA said its decision was made using a large body of science and took into account "highly conservative and protective assumptions" in evaluating the risks of the pesticides to people and the environment.

"The agency evaluated the risks to all age groups, from infants to the elderly, and took into account exposures through food, water, pesticide drift, and as a result of use around homes," the EPA said. "The decision meets the rigorous Food Quality Protection Act standard of 'reasonable certainty of no harm' to human health."

Dow AgroSciences' seeds are genetically engineered to resist several herbicides including one known as 2,4-D and glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup. The 2,4-D is now used on other crops, including wheat, and on pastures and home lawns. It is the world's most popular herbicide and the third most popular in the United States, behind atrazine and glyphosate.

Critics say the new seed and herbicide combination could lead to environmental and health problems and even more weed resistance. A few hours after the EPA decision, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to block the use of the new weed killer, citing its damage to monarch butterflies and risk to human health.

"EPA has turned its back on those it purports to protect - the American people and our environment," said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety. "Why are our agencies listening to the chemical companies and not the scientists, doctors and lawmakers who know that more chemicals are not the answer to the super-weed problem?

In approving Enlist Duo, the EPA said it will require Dow to monitor for weeds that are becoming resistant to the herbicide and report any they find to the agency. In addition, the EPA is ordering a 30-foot "no spray" buffer zone around the application area to avoid pesticide drift, and banning the use of the herbicide when wind speeds are more than 15 miles per hour. Dow AgroSciences says it has made changes to make the herbicide more likely to stick to the plant

Dow AgroSciences has been working for more than a decade on its "Enlist Weed Control System" -- a package that would allow the application of its Enlist Duo herbicide on its corn and soybean seeds, killing pesky weeds but saving the plants.

Source: The Des Moines Register

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