The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has moved to re-register dicamba, a weedkiller banned twice by federal courts for damaging neighboring crops and ecosystems, by proposing new restrictions on when and how it can be used.
Amudalat Ajasa reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Dicamba, approved in 2016 for genetically engineered soy and cotton, was banned after courts ruled the EPA underestimated damage from chemical drift.
- The new plan limits spraying above 95 degrees Fahrenheit and requires drift-reduction agents, though critics say past controls failed to stop off-target movement.
- Agriculture groups support the proposal, while environmental advocates vow new legal challenges, arguing the herbicide remains uncontrollable in the field.
Key quote:
“Even if the applicator takes the utmost care and is applying it correctly, it gets up from where it landed and moves out of the treated field.”
— Robert Hartzler, emeritus professor of weed science at Iowa State University
Why this matters:
Dicamba’s volatility has long made it a flash point in farm country, pitting neighbors against each other when drifting spray damages crops and harms nearby ecosystems. The herbicide’s widespread use soared as farmers battled “superweeds” resistant to older chemicals, but that surge also drove complaints about ruined orchards, sickened wildlife, and shrinking habitat for pollinators. Regulators face pressure from both growers reliant on dicamba to control weeds and communities worried about health and environmental fallout.
Read more: Agrochemical industry backlash to MAHA report linking pesticides to rising childhood health problems
