Corn groups urge EPA to use sound science in its atrazine decision

Date:06-26-2012

During an Environmental Protection Agency Scientific Advisory Panel hearing on atrazine, the National Corn Growers Association, along with state corn association representatives from Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri and Nebraska, urged the use of sound science and real-world evidence in its decision making.

This was the final in a series of SAP hearings on this issue over the past three years.

"It is important that sound science and real world evidence serve as the basis for regulating atrazine and addressing any potential issues, rather than a scientifically unsound and unsupported proposed Aquatic Plant Level of Concern that is inconsistent with biological reality and any observed real world impacts," NCGA Director of Public Policy Rod Snyder said during his testimony.

Snyder also asked the agency to stand by previous determinations, including more than 6,000 studies and nine reviews, that atrazine is safe to use. He also cautioned against using studies that do not have the full weight of the scientific community.

"NCGA requests the EPA exclude studies and data points that do not meet rigorous and appropriate scientific standards," Snyder said. "EPA's evaluation appropriately focuses on the relative and reliability of the studies rather than the mere existence and number of studies that assert a potential negative adverse effect or the presence of uncertainty or apparently conflicting results."

Kansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Association Executive Director Jere White, Kentucky Corn Growers Association Executive Director Laura Knoth, Missouri Corn Growers Association Executive Director Gary Marshall and Nebraska Corn Growers Association Excutive Director Scott Merritt also testified before the SAP on the importance of basing decisions on the safety of atrazine in solid, scientific data.