EPA Pulls Enlist Duo License

Agency Declares in Court Filing EPA is Halting Registration for Herbicide

Chris Clayton
By  Chris Clayton , DTN Ag Policy Editor
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In October 2014, EPA approved Enlist Duo for corn and soybeans in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. EPA then later allowed the herbicide to be used in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota and Oklahoma. (Logo courtesy of Dow AgroSciences)

OMAHA (DTN) -- The Environmental Protection Agency is pulling the registration for Dow AgroSciences' Enlist Duo herbicide, the agency announced Tuesday in a court filing.

EPA stated it is making that decision based on information Dow filed at the U.S. Patent Office on the product that EPA scientists did not know about regarding the "synergistic effects" between glyphosate and 2,4-D, the two herbicides combined to create Enlist Duo.

The filing was posted in a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Center for Food Safety against Dow AgroSciences and EPA over the regulatory approval of Enlist Duo.

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In the case filing, EPA effectively agreed with the environmental groups to remand the case back to the district court and to vacate its own registration decision on Enlist Duo until EPA officials better understand the possible environmental impacts of the two herbicides.

EPA states that part of the registration for Enlist Duo requires a 30-foot downwind, in-field buffer strip to separate sensitive areas from fields sprayed by Enlist Duo. EPA stated in the court filing Tuesday that the new details about Enlist Duo required the agency to "address the potential synergistic effects of Enlist Duo's two active ingredients."

In October 2014, EPA approved Enlist Duo for corn and soybeans in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. EPA then later allowed the herbicide to be used in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

DTN is seeking comment from Dow AgroSciences and EPA on the agency's decision.

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN

(AG)

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Chris Clayton