EPA recently agreed with the recommendations of the atrazine Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP), removing several poor-quality studies that played a role in the agency’s recommendation for an ultra-low aquatic level of concern for atrazine.
The SAP was held in August 2023 at the request of agriculture groups active in the Triazine Network, including the Kentucky Corn Growers Association. The panel considered EPA’s white paper and stakeholder comments to exclude or rescore several questionable studies used to set the aquatic concentration equivalent level of concern (CELOC).
“This is good news for farmers across the nation who rely on atrazine for weed control and sustainable farming practices,” said Kentucky Corn Growers Association Executive Director Laura Knoth. “We appreciate EPA accepting nearly all of the SAP’s recommendations and paving the way for a more science-based regulatory decision moving forward.”
Scientists on the panel also expressed appreciation to the farmers and agriculture representatives who testified on the real-world benefits and necessities of atrazine as well as the real-world consequences of EPA’s proposed decisions. Joseph Sisk, a member of the Kentucky Corn Promotion Council, was one of those farmers delivering his testimony directly from his corn field.
However, there is still work to be done. The Triazine Network requested EPA review two additional low-quality studies not included in the SAP’s charge questions. The Network has received reassurances the agency is reviewing those studies.
The Triazine Network’s request for the atrazine SAP followed EPA’s 2022 proposed revision to the Atrazine Registration Review decision. The proposal altered the atrazine CELOC from 15 ppb to 3.4 ppb using low-quality scientific studies and a flawed modeling system. If implemented, the proposed rule would have severely impacted atrazine use for 72 percent of U.S. corn acres, with similar effects for other crops.