The Environmental Protection Agency announced today an agreement that would implement an early alert system to protect watersheds from atrazine runoff. In a conference call with stakeholders and registrants for atrazine, EPA Office of Special Review and Reregistration Director, Lois Rossi outlined key components of the agreement:

• An early alert system for Community Water Systems in areas of high atrazine use. EPA is supporting site-specific monitoring and mitigation plans for any watersheds of concern.


• EPA has confirmed that atrazine is not likely to be a human carcinogen and that humans are not at risk through dietary exposure.


• Atrazine labels will be harmonized between all registrants and marketers, eliminating many discrepancies in both rates and stewardship requirements that have been in existence for the past decade.


• EPA has supported their approach by citing the vast amount of data available for this review.

EPA's statements are supported by over 200 new studies and over 40 years of safe use by farmers. Atrazine is a herbicide that has been in the EPA triazine special review since 1994. The Triazine Network, a nationwide group of growers, has been involved as a stakeholder in the process since its beginning. Triazine Network Chairman, Jere White said today's announcement is a common sense approach to managing atrazine levels in water. White is executive director of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association.

"While the special review continues, this announcement is a giant step toward developing locally-based solutions to maintain the integrity of our water systems. The program announced by EPA today is a good fit with other EPA programs, as well as USDA conservation programs," White said. "Growers have been part of the solution to concerns over atrazine for years. This system will continue the work that growers and other stakeholders have already initiated in many watersheds across the nation."

A new program will require monitoring of "raw" or untreated water in targeted watersheds. Exceeding levels of concern for atrazine in a watershed will trigger an intensive monitoring program in those watersheds, as well as Best Management Practices designed and proven by years of research to limit runoff of atrazine into surface water. EPA stated during the call that "it is a localized effort with Federal government oversight".

"We appreciate the Agency's work to adopt this innovative approach," White said.