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OIG says EPA improperly approved dicamba products in 2018

The EPA’s watchdog says the agency improperly approved registration for the three leading dicamba products in 2018.

The Office of Inspector General’s report, released Monday, says three senior administrative officials forced changes to or omitted scientific documentation about the products, some that addressed stakeholder risks.

Staff scientists at EPA told investigators that the senior officials were more involved in the dicamba decision than any other pesticide registration decisions.

The O-I-G report determined that the problems and errors made led to a federal appeals court vacating all three herbicide registrations last June.

The court found the registrations violated FIFRA by “substantially understating some risks and failing to acknowledge others entirely.”

An EPA spokesperson says they will work to resolve the issues that occurred during the last administration but they stand by the 2020 reregistration of the dicamba products.

Read EPA’s full statement:

Scientific integrity is a priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. Under Administrator Regan’s leadership, EPA has a renewed commitment to protecting human health and the environment by following science and making evidence-based decisions that rely on the input of career scientists.

The political interference that occurred with the 2018 dicamba decision happened despite the best efforts of EPA’s career scientists and managers to recommend a different approach.  The agency has responded to the Office of the Inspector General’s report and is implementing several actions to ensure that our pesticide registration decisions are free from political interference and that the agency’s scientific integrity policy is upheld. The agency looks forward to productive conversations with the Office of the Inspector General as we work to resolve this matter. EPA stands by its 2020 decision made with the input of career scientists and managers.”