"Pesticides: Court Reverses Key Part Of Challenge To EPA Registrations"

"A federal appeals court [Thursday] breathed new life into a challenge by environmental groups to U.S. EPA's registration of nearly 400 pesticides.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network North America filed the large lawsuit contending that EPA should have consulted the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service when it considered the reregistration of pesticides containing 31 different active ingredients.

They filed complaints that ran over 450 pages, and a district court ruled for EPA and virtually every major agribusiness group that intervened on behalf of the agency.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld that decision today, but it reversed the ruling on one key aspect and sent it back to federal district court for further consideration.

Specifically, the challengers alleged that for each of those 31 active ingredients, EPA failed to engage in the consultation process with FWS and NMFS as required under the Endangered Species Act."

Jeremy P. Jacobs reports for Greenwire February 2, 2017.