Environmentalists Sue EPA Over Weedkiller

Acting almost ritualistic, an environmental group is using a we-can't-afford-to-wait legal argument to sue the Environmental Protection Agency over use of the weedkiller atrazine. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sued the EPA last August because a judge ruled in the previous January that atrazine was flowing into streams in Washington state and harming salmon. Therefore, the government was ruled to have violated the Endangered Species Act and the judge ordered cutbacks on the use of atrazine near salmon-bearing rivers and streams.

Since atrazine is an effective, inexpensive, and widely used weedkiller, any adverse ruling will have a dramatic impact on agriculture throughout the United States. When agriculture prices take a step jump upward with a noticeable decrease in product quality, we can thank the Endangered Species Act, astute environmentalist lawyers, fuzzy and inconclusive research data, and activist liberal judges.

And, if there is general public concern expressed about the use of atrazine, our thanks needs to be directed to the Toledo Blade and similar media outlets for reporting the story as:

Weed Killer Raises Health Questions

Living in Ohio, I would never know by the headline that the questions raised concern the health of salmon in the Pacific Northwest. It's not a stretch to state that the Endangered Species Act is being used maliciously by environmental extremists to harm American business. Also, the bend-over-to-liberals editorial philosophy of the major media has to be credited with keeping the public appropriately ill-informed and alarmed.

Companion post at eTALKINGHEAD