A controversial process at the Environmental Protection Agency has come to light through newly released internal documents, revealing how the agency allowed a major pesticide manufacturer to influence federal regulations for the widely criticized herbicide dicamba. The records detail an unusual approach where the EPA solicited input from the company on preferred regulatory options, incorporated its selections into a proposed rule, and effectively turned the company’s choices into official policy. This transparency offers an unprecedented look at how pesticide regulations are typically developed behind closed doors. The case raises questions about industry influence in shaping environmental protections.
Environmental Protection Agency asked firm to choose rules it wanted for dicamba, then put the choices in a proposed federal ruleThe EPA allowed pesticide giant Bayer to pick from a menu of regulation options for the controversial and destructive weedkiller dicamba, newly released internal agency documents show.The documents provide an unusually clear look into the process of developing pesticide regulations, which is typically done out of public view. It shows in detail how the EPA asked Bayer which regulations it wanted, received a response from Bayer, then put Bayer’s choices into a proposed federal rule. Continue reading...
