Additional States Will Have Access To Enlist Duo In Light Of Controversy

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved of Enlist Duo herbicide for use in nine additional states—Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota and Oklahoma. Enlist Duo partners with the Enlist corn and soybean seeds as the primary herbicide with active ingredients glyphosate and 2, 4-D choline. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin gained approval in October 2014. For more information, visit enlist.com.

This expansion doesn’t come without controversy.  On Feb. 6, 2015 Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., and Center for Food Safety filed a motion stating that Enlist Duo poses a threat on two endangered species: the whooping crane and the Indiana bat.  This motion builds on an earlier challenge by the Center for Food Safety and Earthjustice. The motion suggests EPA overlooked these two endangered species and failed to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Services or the national Marine Fisheries Service as required by the Endangered Species Act.  The concern is that both the whooping crane and the Indiana bat will both be exposed to potentially toxic levels of 2, 4-D after ingesting insects who have consumed plants with the chemical.