On March 29, the U.S. House passed a bill (HR 872) to block an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation that would require permits for the use of pesticides registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) in or near navigable waters. The bill was passed by a vote of 292-130 under an expedited procedure requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. The EPA’s proposed regulation was in response to a federal court decision that held that commercial pesticides are pollutants when used in, near or on waterways to control mosquitoes, weeds and other pests. The court gave EPA two years to develop permitting rules with an initial deadline of April 9, 2011, which on March 28 was extended to Oct. 31. Under the EPA proposal, either an EPA or state-issued permit would be required, and in the Texas state regulators would be responsible for overseeing the process according to the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations.
