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One issue certain to be a hot topic at the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) Legislative Day event, which will take place March 12-14 in Washington, are two newly introduced bills about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), a permit program that addresses water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters in the United States.
On Feb. 8, legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 340) and U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 953) that would clarify that federal law doesn’t require the redundant and unfairly burdensome NPDES permits for already-regulated pesticide applications, according to the NPMA’s Feb. 10 Policy Update e-newsletter to members.
NPDES permits are required when applicators make pesticide applications directly to “waters of the U.S.,” which the NPMA says is unnecessary, based on the proper application directed from the EPA-approved labels already on pesticides.
“Many of you have been part of the fight to pass this legislation during the past several years,” the NPMA newsletter states. “In fact, it was one of our Legislative Day issues in 2016. Under this Congress and the Trump administration, we are optimistic that we have our best chance of passing the NPDES fix. There are still several hurdles to clear in Congress, and we need your assistance to urge legislators to pass this common-sense legislation that benefits the structural pest management industry.”
The NPMA offers all pest management professionals a predrafted letter to send to senators and representatives in Congress explaining the industry’s stance on the issue.
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