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Pesticide News Story: EPA Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Settlement Agreement Regarding Endangered Species
For Release: July 12, 2005
EPA has published a Federal Register Notice seeking public comment on a proposed Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement would resolve a lawsuit brought against the Agency by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Save Our Springs Alliance (SOSA). The Settlement Agreement would establish a series of deadlines for the Agency to make “effects determinations” for pesticides containing any of six active ingredients (atrazine, diazinon, carbaryl, prometon, metolachlor, and simazine), to determine their potential effect on the Barton Springs salamander, Eurycea sosorum,or its designated critical habitat. For each of these six active ingredients, the Agency will make an “effects determination” to determine whether its action (1) has no effect on the Barton Springs salamander; (2) may affect but is not likely to adversely affect this species; or (3) may affect and is likely to adversely affect this species. Pursuant to the Proposed Settlement Agreement, if the Agency determines that its action “may affect and is likely to adversely affect” the Barton Springs salamander or designated critical habitat, the Agency will initiate formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). EPA is requesting comment on the Proposed Settlement Agreement and will use the comments to determine whether all or part of the proposed Settlement Agreement warrants reconsideration and, therefore, renegotiation. Comments are due to EPA by July 27, 2005. The Federal Register Notice is now available. The Agency has posted a fact sheet with instructions on how to submit comments, along with a copy of the proposed Settlement Agreement (PDF, 80 KB, 15 pages).