EPA to Hold Webcast Updating Developments of CWA Permit Requirement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a Webcast on Thursday, October 7 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (EST) to update the pest management industry and other stakeholders about its efforts to develop Clean Water Act (CWA) or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for pesticide applications to, over or near waters of the United States. 

The permit requirement EPA is developing stems from a January federal court decision that struck down a Bush administration rulemaking exempting pesticide applications performed in accordance with label directions to, over or near bodies of water from CWA permit requirements.  Industry groups subsequently requested that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rehear the case while EPA asked that the court stay or delay implementation of the ruling for two years to allow EPA time to develop a permit system.  The court rejected the industry's request to rehear the case but did grant a two-year stay. 

PMPs that perform mosquito or aquatic weed work or any other applications to, over or near waters of the United States may wish to tune into the Webcast, which according to EPA "will cover the current legal status of CWA requirements for discharges from the application of pesticides, the schedule for developing NPDES general permits for such discharges, and current agency thoughts on general permit conditions related to the scope of the general permit, Notice of Intent for obtaining permit coverage, technology-based effluent limits, water-quality-based effluent limits, and monitoring, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements."  Technically, EPA's permit program will only apply to the five states currently lacking NPDES authority - Alaska, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Mexico, although the program will very likely serve as a model for other states as well.

Click here to access the Webcast.