The American Soybean Association (ASA) welcomes legislation introduced yesterday from Senate Agriculture Committee members Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) that amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to eliminate the duplicative pesticide permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act. The bill, S. 175, will ensure that Clean Water Act permits are not needed for the applications of pesticides currently registered under FIFRA. ASA President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss., issues the following statement on the legislation:

"The elimination of these redundant pesticide permitting requirements has been a priority for ASA since 2010, and we are very supportive of Senator Roberts and Senator Johanns in their efforts to reduce the red tape for our farmers. Farmers are always willing to cooperate with regulations based on sound science and grounded in practical, real-world farming practices. This legislation will remove the uncertainty that the current system creates, while leaving well-established rules in place to effectively protect the environment. We commend Senators Roberts and Johanns on their work, and call on the Senate to pass this bill quickly."

ASA represents all U.S. soybean farmers on domestic and international issues of importance to the soybean industry. ASA’s advocacy efforts are made possible through voluntary farmer membership by farmers in 30 states where soybeans are grown.

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For more information contact:

Danny Murphy, ASA President, 601-906-3809, dpmurphy@bellsouth.net
Patrick Delaney, ASA Communications Director, 202-969-7040, pdelaney@soy.org