Governors' Biofuels Coalition

When EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt spoke to members of the right-leaning American Farm Bureau Federation in late February, he got a standing “O.” A similar reception came from the ranks of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in March. Such approbation was unheard of when Obama-era EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy was in office, but it reflects what many farmers view as Trump’s quick turnaround of the agency, which has shifted its relationship with agriculture to consider business interests and job creation in the context of environmental stewardship.

Pruitt, aside from the WOTUS play, has denied a long-standing petition from environmental groups to prohibit the insecticide chlorpyrifos for agricultural uses; McCarthy supported establishing a ban. Agricultural groups are hoping this bodes well for a slew of other chemicals being reviewed by the agency, including the widely used herbicide glyphosate, which some scientific research has indicated could cause cancer. A draft risk assessment for the chemical EPA is expected to release later this spring is expected to find that glyphosate is not a human carcinogen.

Previous | Next