BISMARCK – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a bicameral letter with U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and U.S. Representative Mark Alford (R-MO-04) to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), regarding the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit’s recent ruling in Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association et al. v. Michael Regan. The Eighth Circuit’s ruling vacated the EPA’s August 2021 Final Rule which revoked all tolerances for chlorpyrifos.

The Eighth Circuit found EPA’s ban to be “arbitrary and capricious.” The ruling noted the use of chlorpyrifos has played a large role in American agriculture for more than half a century. Before the EPA’s 2021 ban, agricultural use of chlorpyrifos had passed multiple safety reviews.

“The court has spoken and, consistent with its decision, we believe farmers should have access to this critical tool for the 2024 growing season. EPA should follow the court’s ruling and immediately allow safe uses of chlorpyrifos,” wrote the senators.

“EPA should move expeditiously to follow the court’s direction that vacates the revocation rule,” continued the senators. “Protecting the use of critical crop protection tools, like chlorpyrifos, is of the utmost importance as our nation continues to make strides towards bolstering a strong domestic food supply, especially in the wake of a global pandemic and record inflation. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.”

Additional cosigners include U.S. Senators Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Boozman (R-AR), James Lankford (R-OK), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Thune (R-SD), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), John Hoeven (R-ND), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Steve Daines (R-MT), and U.S. Representatives James Baird (R-IN-04), Mike Bost (R-IL-12), Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), Ben Cline (R-VA-06), James Comer (R-KY-01), Eric “Rick” Crawford (R-AR-01), Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07), Sam Graves (R-MO-06), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Trent Kelly (R-MS-01), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-03), Tracey Mann (R-KS-01), Mary Miller (R-IL-15), Barry Moore (R-AL-02), John Rose (R-TN-06), David Rouzer (R-NC-07), Austin Scott (R-GA-08), Rick Allen (R-GA-12), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02), Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09), Mike Flood (R-NE-01), Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA-15), Jason Smith (R-MO-08), David Joyce (R-OH-14), Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04), Eric Burlison (R-MO-07), John Duarte (R-CA-13), Julia Letlow (R-LA-05), Frank Lucas (R-OK-03), and Don Bacon (R-NE-02).

Click here for the letter.