PLCAA Calls for Action

The Professional Lawn Care Association of America is urging green industry professionals to take action in the latest pesticide-related battle.

According to the national association, the industry as a whole could lose many valuable pesticide products or the right to use them because of lawsuits filed by a handful of environmental groups against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Environmentalists have filed a wave of nuisance lawsuits in an effort to prevent the EPA from registering or re-registering pesticides, resulting in court-created buffers where no pesticides can be applied. The suits allege that by failing to consult with other federal agencies before registering a pesticide, the EPA has not complied fully with the law.

However, the EPA, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Services have developed “counterpart regulations” establishing the appropriate regulatory process to fully comply with ESA. These regulations have been released for public comment through March 30.

For more information about the lawsuits and PLCAA’s efforts, visit the association Web site.