CropLife America Files Motion in EPA Lawsuit

CropLife America (CLA) together with Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), Mid America CropLife Association (MACA), Western Plant Health Association (WPHA), and Southern Crop Production Association (SCPA) filed a motion to intervene in Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network North America v. Environmental Protection Agency. If CLA’s role as an “intervenor” is granted, CLA will become a party to the lawsuit, according to a press release.

“CLA stands behind protecting vulnerable species and their habitat, but this lawsuit is the wrong way to approach the problems within the ESA consultation process,” said Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CLA in a prepared statement. “Although current litigation brings the broken process to light, it will not serve to correct the problems that lie at the heart of ESA; sound policy and stakeholder collaboration are essential to making consultations work.”

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The lawsuit, filed January 19, 2011, alleges the EPA has violated the ESA by failing to consult with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service on the potential effects of over 380 active ingredients pesticides on 214 threatened and endangered species across 49 states, according to the release.

The broad scope of the lawsuit raises the possibility of potential product restrictions through a wide swath of U.S. agriculture, according to CLA.

“It is imperative that CLA, RISE and our allies intervene to ensure modern agriculture has a voice in this lawsuit which could significantly reduce the availability of crop protection and pest control products across the country,” said Doug Nelson, executive vice president and general counsel for CLA in a prepared statement. “Our goal is to guarantee that ESA consultations are rooted in sound science.”

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For additional information on the Endangered Species Act and the crop protection industry, visit www.croplifeamerica.org.
 

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