CropLife America and 30 agricultural groups based in Washington, Oregon and California filed a notice of appeal regarding the Jan. 22, 2004, order issued by Federal Court Judge John Coughenour.
The ruling mandated intermim measures, including pesticide restiricted application zones of 20 and 100 yards near waterways containing salmon.
Because of the serious economic effect the buffer zones will have on western growers, CLA and intervener groups also plan to file for a stay of the injunction, requesting that the bufffer zones mandated in the order not be put in place.
The economic losses for a single year of buffer zones in Washington and Oregon alone could cause an estimated $583 million in losses, according to a USDA report.
The pesticides now subject to buffers are productive tools that family and commercial farm owners use to control diseases, weeds and insects that destroy crops, and reduce both quality and yield. Other economic losses will also impact pesticide applicators beyond agriculture including golf courses and plant nuseries.
CLA said the pesticides have all undergone rigorous scientific scrutiny and have been approved by the EPA. This scientific testing and registration process ensures that humans, fish and wildlife alike are safe and protected. The lawsuit, which resulted in the final order, deals with an administrative process for reviewing registrations for pesticides, not their safety.