RISE Renews Request for Comments on Proposed NPDES Rule

Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE) President Allen James thanked individuals who responded to the group’s request last week for comment on proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). In order to make the green industry’s voice heard, James is urging more people to submit their comments to the Environemntal Protection Agency (EPA) before the April 4 deadline is reached.

“RISE is asking for your help within the next few days,” James said in a letter to the industry. “The EPA is receiving comments on its proposed final rulemaking on NPDES permits. As you likely recall, over the last several years, activists have gone to court under the Clean Water Act to stop pesticide applications in, over or around water, and are expanding their actions to include more and more pesticide uses. One Federal Court District has agreed with the activists and many needed pesticide applications have been halted or conducted under NPDES permits that are expensive and unnecessary.”

Newly proposed EPA rules will relieve some of the existing pressures by stating that many pesticides do not require NPDES permits, James explains. RISE is supporting the rule and asking members and nonmembers throughout the industry to voice their support by adding comments to the docket. Moreover, RISE wants to urge the EPA to expand the rule’s language to cover all pesticide applications. However, “broader language will not happen unless EPA receives strong support from the public,” James says in his letter.

Individuals interested in adding comments to the docket may use the following comments or are welcome to craft their own: 
 
"Stop the unnecessary and duplicative EPA permitting of food and fiber production, wild land fire fighting, mosquito control for West Nile virus, removal of invasive and noxious weeds, and all other pesticide uses."