ClassAction, 2017
ClassAction, “Morgan & Morgan Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Farmers Impacted by Dicamba,” PR Newswire, September 11, 2017.
SUMMARY:
The firm Morgan and Morgan filed a lawsuit on September 10th against Monsanto, BASF, and DuPont – the major producers of dicamba in the U.S.. The suit was filed in Illinois on behalf of the owner/operator of farm in Broughton, IL where hundreds of acres of soybeans and pumpkins were allegedly damaged by dicamba drift. “Farmers across the country relied upon the defendants’ assurances that these new formulations of dicamba could be used safely and without harm to others. That simply isn’t true, and as a result thousands of farmers are staring down lean harvests and uncertain futures” (Rene Rocha, attorney on the case). They are seeking an permanent injunction against marketing and selling Xtend crops, Xtendimax, Engenia, and Fexapan as well as compensation for losses and legal costs. “The dangers of this herbicide have been understood for decades. Unfortunately, instead of producing safe and effective weed control options, it appears that the defendants are using the threat of harm to eliminate their competition and dictate what crops farmers can and cannot plant.” FULL TEXT
Polansek, 2017a
Tom Polansek, “Monsanto fights to sell Arkansas farmers herbicide linked to crop damage,” Reuters, September 7, 2017.
SUMMARY:
Monsanto has formally petitioned the state of Arkansas to reject the proposed ban on dicamba spraying after April 15. The task force set up by Governor Hutchinson following thousands of complaints of crop damage from dicamba use on herbicide-resistant soybeans. Monsanto calls this an “unwarranted and misinformed” as dicamba is specifically designed for spraying in the summer over growing fields to target herbicide-resistant weeds. The company is claiming that the damage will “probably not cause significant yield losses” and called into question the objectivity and motives of key weed scientists who are working on the issue. Monsanto threatened legal action if their petition is not granted. FULL TEXT
Polansek and Flitter, 2017
Tom Polansek and Emily Flitter, “EPA eyes limits for agricultural chemical linked to crop damage,” Reuters, September 5, 2017.
SUMMARY:
More details on proposed EPA regulatory action ahead of 2018 growing season to address dicamba damage crisis. EPA is considering a cut-off date in spring or early summer for dicamba applications, allowing pre-emergence spraying only. The agency calls the extensive damage of this season unacceptable and warns of “significant changes” to the rules. This will impact Monsanto’s bottom line: “If the EPA imposed a April 15 cut-off date for dicamba spraying, that would be catastrophic for Xtend – it invalidates the entire point of planting it.” Article also notes the high cost of dicamba seed as farmers try and decide the benefit of ordering the resistant seed. ” Dicamba-tolerant soybeans cost about $64 a bag, compared with about $28 a bag for Monsanto’s Roundup Ready soybeans and about $50 a bag for soybeans resistant to Bayer’s Liberty herbicide.”
Abbott, 2017
Chuck Abbott, “Dicamba is ‘tremendous success,’ says Monsanto; EPA mulls rule change,” FERN’s AG Insider, August 31, 2017.
SUMMARY:
Monsanto claims they will have enough dicamba-resistant seed available for half the U.S. soybean acreage, and chief technology officer Robb Fraley described dicamba as a “tremendous success” for most farmers. EPA, however, is considering changes ahead of the 2018 season. “We don’t consider this to be normal growing pains for a new technology,” says an EPA official who oversees herbicide regulations. Monsanto again claims the key is “strict adherence to instructions.” FULL TEXT
Dewey, 2017
Caitlin Dewey, “This miracle weed killer was supposed to save farms. Instead, it’s devastating them.” The Washington Post, 8/29/2017.
SUMMARY:
Washington Post story reports on ongoing damage from dicamba. Important points in the article include the potential for drift- “According to a 2004 assessment, dicamba is 75 to 400 times more dangerous to off-target plants than the common weed killer glyphosate, even at very low doses. It is particularly toxic to soybeans — the very crop it was designed to protect — that haven’t been modified for resistance.” Reports on latest numbers- 3.1 million acres in 16 states. ‘“It’s really hard to get a handle on how widespread the damage is,” said Bob Hartzler, a professor of agronomy at Iowa State University. “But I’ve come to the conclusion that [dicamba] is not manageable.”’ FULL TEXT
Smith, 2016a
Steve Smith, “RE: Citizen’s Petition to Classify Pesticides with the Active Ingredient Dicamba as Restricted Use,” Save Our Crops Coalition Petition to the EPA, May 24, 2016.
SUMMARY:
Non-target plant damage associated with herbicide spray drift and volatilization is a major concern for specialty crop growers and processors. Credible estimates project significant increases in the amount of dicamba that will be applied upon the introduction of dicamba-tolerant crops, and, dicamba, because of its potential to drift and volatilize, has proven to be one of America’s most dangerous herbicides for non-target plant damage. Thus, SOCC respectfully submits the following petition requesting EPA conduct a classification review of products with the active ingredient dicamba to determine whether any or all such products should be classified for restricted use. FULL TEXT
AAPCO, 2005
Association of American Pesticide Control Operators,” 2005 Pesticide Drift Enforcement Survey,” 2005.
SUMMARY:
Reports on the results from 2002 and 2003 farmer surveys, including on pesticide drift damage. FULL TEXT
Center for Food Safety, 2012
Center for Food Safety, “Summary of Center for Food Safety’s Science Comments to EPA on Monsanto’s Request to Register Dicamba Herbicide for Use on Monsanto’s Dicamba-Resistant MON 87708 Soybean,” September 21, 2012.
SUMMARY:
In brief, the introduction of MON 87708 would trigger a huge increase in the use of
dicamba herbicide in American agriculture. This in turn would trigger numerous adverse impacts, including: 1) Rapid evolution of weeds resistant to dicamba and related herbicides; 2) Much increased crop damage from the highly volatile dicamba drifting onto neighbors’ crops; 3) Potential health harms to farmers and the public from greater exposure to dicamba; and 4) Injury to wild plants and animals that depend on them, including threatened and endangered species, from dicamba drift and runoff. FULL TEXT
Smith, 2013
Steve Smith, Comment of the Save Our Crops Coalition, RE: Notice of Receipt of Several Pesticide Petitions Filed for Residues of Pesticide Chemicals in or on Various Commodities; Pesticide Products; Receipt of Applications to Register New Uses, Docket Nos. EPA–HQ–OPP–2012–0841-0001, EPA-HQ-OPP-2012-0215-0002,
Thursday, January 17, 2013.
SUMMARY:
The Save Our Crops Coalition (SOCC) is a grassroots coalition of farm interests
organized for the specific purpose of preventing injury to non-target crops from
exposure to 2,4-D and dicamba. This comment requests the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluate dicamba residue tolerances for dicamba tolerant crops and the tolerances proposed by SOCC concurrently, and withhold registration of all new uses of dicamba until EPA has established residue tolerances for effected crops.
Smith, 2010
Steve Smith, “Deployment of Dicamba-resistant soybeans and what it will mean to canned and frozen food processors and specialty crop growers in the Midwest,” Testimony before Congress, Domestic Policy Subcommittee of Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, September 30, 2010.
SUMMARY:
Steve Smith, the Director of Agriculture at Red Gold, the largest canned tomato processor in the U.S., testifies before Congress on the approval of dicamba-resistant soybeans. FULL TEXT