As Farm Bill talks begin again, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation changes are also up for debate. Redundant regulations  could prove to be burdensome to farmers. By requiring farmers to have duplicative permits for pesticides, farmers will be subject to more paperwork.

“This redundant regulation creates unnecessary liability and paperwork burdens on farmers, state and local governments, public health officials and small businesses,” Senator Kay Hagan said in “ Senators push to eliminate redundant EPA regulations .”

The duplicative regulation efforts came about after a court decision in 2011 that requires an aquatic application for pesticides in addition to the review of pesticides performed under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) required by the EPA.

EPA regulations are especially important to the application industry and will affect how you are able to do business. By creating double the amount of paperwork that will be needed for applications on crops, the redundant regulations could do more harm than good.

Hagan also added, “This is not about whether pesticides should be regulated, but rather it is about eliminating an unnecessary and duplicative regulation that wastes taxpayer dollars and provides little to no environmental or public health benefits.”

Hagan introduced a bipartisan bill to eliminate redundant regulations. The House included a similar proposition in its version of the Farm Bill, but the Senate did not.

Currently, the Senate and House are in conference committee to work out a new Farm Bill to replace the expired 2008 Farm Bill.