Secretary Naig Submits Comments to Preserve Atrazine as a Critical Weed Management Tool for Iowa Farmers

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:

• Further restricting the use of atrazine will negatively impact pest resistance management and conservation efforts.
• The proposed level of concern far below the current level will diminish the herbicide’s effectiveness, leaving farmers with fewer options to control weeds and implement conservation practices.
• The EPA proposed picklist approach to managing atrazine is complicated, costly, and not feasible for Iowa farmers, landowners, and pesticide applicators. It also creates enforcement challenges for state pesticide regulatory agencies.
• Before any part of the proposed rule is finalized, EPA must convene a Scientific Advisory Panel.

“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.