Dorgan Blocks EPA Nominees, Wants Pesticide Issue Settled

July 10, 2000

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has blocked confirmation of two Environmental Protection Agency officials whose names were sent to Congress by President Clinton for approval. Dorgan took the action in retaliation of an EPA decision to prohibit the use of a pesticide, similar to "Achieve," in North Dakoa. Achieve is used to control weeds in wheat and barley crops.

Dorgan says Zeneca Ag Products, which manufactures Achieve, charges about $6 an acre more to U.S. producers than to Canadian producers. So state Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson decided to allow North Dakota farmers to use a lower priced version of Achieve purchased in Canada.

Zeneca filed a complaint with EPA, Dorgan says, but EPA verbally agreed to allow North Dakota farmers to use the imported product. But after a phone call with Johnson, EPA and state Attorney General Heidi Heikamp, the agency prohibited the import of the product.

Dorgan says the decision is unfair. Canadians use the chemical and send the grain treated with it to the United States; EPA says there are no health issues connected with the use of the chemical. "But denying U.S. farmers the ability to bring the chemical in from Canada to apply to U.S. crops means that in effect the EPA is being used as an accessory to price fixing by Zeneca," he adds.

"Until the EPA decides it. s going to use a little common sense in this area, I"m going to use the only leverage I have and block the confirmation process...I take no joy in doing so, but U.S. farmers are getting taken for a ride by the Zeneca Corporation. The EPA ought to work with us to find a way to resolve these issues rather than continuing to put up road blocks."

The two nominations are for deputy administrator and assistant administrator.