She points out that mandated by a 2009 court decision, EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pesticide General Permit (PGP) went into effect for point source discharges from pesticide application to U.S. waters.
The PGP is believed to be the first permitting requirement of its type many small farmers will face in 2012. State-issued general permits must meet all Clean Water Act requirements of the federal PGP but can be more stringent.
EPA will continue to issue test orders to screen pesticides and other chemicals as potential endocrine disruptors: chemicals that interact with hormones produced by the human or animal endocrine system, which regulates growth, metabolism, and reproduction. EPA has released a new work plan for the screening program intended to expedite implementation and improve the methods used to assess chemicals.