Eliminating Duplicative Regulation of Pesticides

A bipartisan initiative to stop the duplicative regulation of pesticides is H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011. This bill, introduced by Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Bob Gibbs, Committee Member Jean Schmidt, and many other Members of Congress, would reverse a costly and needless court ruling to require farmers, ranchers, forest managers, state agencies, city and county municipalities, mosquito control districts, water districts, and others to obtain a duplicative permit under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for the use of pesticides.

The use of pesticides is already highly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and requiring further permits under the Clean Water Act simply isn’t necessary.

Adding a burdensome federal regulatory hurdle to activities that are already properly regulated will drive up costs without any true environmental benefit.  Such unnecessary regulations hurt America's small businesses and hamper job growth.

The House approved this legislation in March 2011, but the bill remains stuck in the Senate, along with other House-passed jobs bills.  Click here for the entire list of House-passed jobs bills awaiting Senate action.

More information:

• October 31, 2011: Senate Democrats' Failure to Act Leads to Costly, Duplicative Regulatory Burdens
• March 31, 2011: House Votes to Eliminate Costly, Duplicative Regulatory Burdens on States, Local Governments, Farmers & Others
• March 16, 2011: Committee Votes to Cut Duplicative Regulations for Proper Use of Pesticides
• March 2, 2011: Group of Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Eliminate Duplicative Permit Requirement for Pesticide Applications
• February 16, 2011: Gibbs Says Pending Regulatory Burdens Could Result in “Single Greatest Expansion of the Permitting Process in the History of the Clean Water Act Program”