In historic environmental victory, courts vacate lax EPA pesticide regulations

An appeals court vacated a 2007 EPA ruling that pesticides could be applied to water without a Clean Water Act permit. The EPA previously claimed that the chemicals could be discharged into waterways without a permit because the Clean Water Act was ambiguous. The new ruling holds that the Act is indeed very clear, that pesticides should be classified as pollutants, and stricter controls need to be enacted to safeguard public water and wildlife resources.
 
“This is a significant victory for our nation's waters. More than eight million pounds of pesticides are applied each year in the Bay Area alone," said Sejal Choksi, program director for San Francisco Baykeeper. Full story: Environmental News Service