10/04/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/04/2022 12:00
DES MOINES, Iowa (October 4, 2022) - Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to its proposed revisions to the September 2020 atrazine interim decision. Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in corn production and the proposed revisions by EPA would severely restrict its effectiveness and use.
In the letter, Secretary Naig focuses his comments on four areas where the EPA has proposed revisions and efforts to further restrict the use of atrazine will have a negative impact on food production, the environment, and the farm economy:
"Listening to Iowans and being a strong voice for farmers and those who work in production agriculture is one of the most important roles of the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture. As I extensively travel the state, I continually hear from farmers and producers about the crucial need to have effective weed management tools like atrazine for food production and conservation now and well into the future," said Secretary Naig. "I am hopeful that EPA will review stakeholder feedback closely and adopt atrazine use requirements that are based on the best available science and do not impair the effectiveness of this critical weed management tool."
The full letter can be found here.