February 9, 2024
Michael S. Regan
Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator Regan,
I am deeply concerned about the recent order in Central for Biological Diversity, et.al, v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, et.al. issued by the U.S. District Court of Arizona that vacates the registration for over-the-top (OTT) applications of dicamba on dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton. The vacate order includes dicamba products Xtendimax (Bayer), Engenia (BASF), and Tavium (Syngenta), all of which are important tools that help Oklahoma farmers protect their crops.
This order could not have come at a worse time for cotton and soybean producers here in Oklahoma, as well as across the country. The growing season is just weeks away and farmers have already decided on what types of seed they want to plant, as well as the herbicides they will need for their operations. Growers who choose dicamba-tolerant seed are also choosing dicamba products for their weed control program. Given the recent order in Arizona, those growers have been put into a very difficult situation.
I am asking EPA to issue an existing stock order that ensures dicamba products are available to producers through the upcoming growing season. This would provide much needed clarity to farmers who intend to use these products. I also request that EPA ensures access to dicamba products that have already been purchased, as well as those products that remain in the supply chain to be applied by applicators in accordance with the current EPA label.
Farmers who’ve made significant investments in dicamba products for this upcoming growing season should not be expected to incur a potentially devastating financial burden due to a legal dispute. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
Blayne Arthur
Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture