Petition calls for ban of popular herbicide

When homeowners seek advice from local home and garden centers for controlling weeds in their lawn, they will likely be told to use a herbicide containing the chemical 2,4-D.

"2,4-D is a very valuable tool for homeowners battling weeds in their lawn," said Reggie Shook, general manager of Lauderdale Farmers Cooperative, which operates stores in Florence and Elgin. "If we ever lost 2,4-D, it would leave a big void for homeowners trying to kill weeds in their lawn."

The New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council is urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to ban the sale of 2,4-D, the common name for 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and products containing the herbicide.

EPA spokesman Dale Kemery said the agency will accept comments through Feb. 23 about National Resources Defense Council's request to stop the use of 2,4-D in the United States. Comments can be submitted on the Internet via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov. The docket identification number of the 2,4-D petition is EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0877.

Many agricultural organizations are opposed to the request.

"This herbicide is critically important to Alabama farmers and American agriculture in general," said Perry Mobley, equine, hay and forage director for the Montgomery-based Alabama Farmers Federation. "Livestock and row crop producers alike depend on 2,4-D."

Randall Armstrong, Lauderdale County coordinator for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said cattle farmers often use 2,4-D to control weeds in their pastures.

While 2,4-D is an efficient way for farmers to kill broadleaf weeds in pastures, they must apply it carefully to avoid creating vapors that can kill nearby farm crops, Armstrong said.

"It's highly volatile and vaporizes easily; that's why we recommend farmers only use it in their pastures in the early spring and late fall when there are no row crops around," he said. "If someone is not careful and uses 2,4-D on a hot summer day, they can damage cotton on another farm down the road."

Proponents of the effort to ban 2,4-D contend its dangers extend beyond damage to nearby farm crops.

The Oregon-based Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides contends 2,4-D can possibly cause cancer and birth defects in humans and can harm pets and wildlife.

Mae Wuu, staff attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said 2,4-D is dangerous and should be taken off the market.

"Most homeowners don't understand the dangers," she said. "We think EPA has really dropped the ball by allowing it to remain on the market."

She said there are safer chemicals available for farmers and homeowners to use for weed control.

Jim King, vice president of investor relations and corporate affairs for Ohio-based Scott's Miracle-Gro Co., which manufactures 2,4-D, said the chemical has been tested repeatedly by government and independent laboratories and found to be safe.

"It's widely agreed in the scientific community to be safe," King said. "We are confident and comfortable in the use of the product."

Shook said farmers and commercial pesticide applicators have access to other herbicides for controlling broadleaf weeds in grass, but homeowners have limited options. "There's really not anything other than 2,4-D that homeowners can use when they have weeds in their lawn."

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@TimesDaily.com.