"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a new permit requirement that would decrease the amount of pesticides discharged to U.S. federal waters.

The action is in response to an April 9, 2009 appeals court decision that found that pesticide discharges to U.S. waters are pollutants, and so they require a permit under the Clean Water Act.

The new Pesticides General Permit was developed in response to a decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case National Cotton Council of America v. EPA.

The court vacated the Bush-era EPA's 2006 rule that said National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits under the Clean Water Act were not required for applications of pesticides to U.S. waters. "

Environment News Service had the story June 2, 2010. [2]