Weedkiller Labeling Woes

Eleven states petitioned the EPA to set a rule to stop states (looking at you, California) from slapping on chemical warning labels that don’t match up with the agency’s potential hazard findings.

California’s claim: California has sights set on adding warning labels to glyphosate-based products. According to the state, the ingredient is known to cause cancer. But the EPA and other worldwide regulators have granted it regulatory approval.

EPA’s stomping grounds: The EPA is the regulatory body for chemicals, and sets the requirements for labels that include usage instructions and precautions. The petitioning states’ Attorneys General worry that if the Golden State is allowed to go rogue, then national regulations could be driven by states, rather than the federal government.

Soundbite: “There’s no way that a state like California should tell a farmer in Nebraska or Iowa how to farm.” — Brenna Bird, Iowa Attorney General

Pesticide petition: The states’ petition notes that any state can restrict a pesticide’s use or sale. But they note that packaging or labeling requirements can’t go beyond those set in place by the EPA’s Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.