U.S. eases review of pesticides for endangered species
The Bush administration yesterday made it easier for the government to approve pesticides used by farmers and homeowners, saying it no longer would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to first consult other federal agencies to determine whether a product could harm endangered species.
The change affects federal regulations that carry out the Endangered Species Act, a law that protects about 1,200 threatened animals and plants.
Federal officials portrayed the action as a more efficient way to ensure the species are protected from pesticides sprayed across the landscape. They were also cheered by pesticide, farm and forestry groups, which have been put on edge by conservation lawsuits challenging the use of pesticides near lands and streams that harbor protected species. The most high-profile of these suits earlier this year resulted in a Seattle federal judge imposing a temporary ban on spraying 38 pesticides along thousands of miles of Northwest streams.
Continue reading this story from the Seattle Times:
Bush eases pesticide rules
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