U.S. House Passes H.R. 872

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011, by a vote of 292-130, yesterday.

H.R. 872 would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify Congressional intent regarding the regulation of the use of pesticides in or near navigable waters. 

The bill was introduced in response to a January 2009 Federal Appeals Court ruling that requires costly and burdensome Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permits for millions of pesticide applications. This ruling was scheduled to go into effect April 9, and it may impact many pest management professionals, especially those performing mosquito and aquatic weed treatments.

The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for approval.