EPA Pesticide General Permit Draws Appeals Court Challenge

The EPA failed to comply with federal water and species protection laws when it issued a general permit for the releases of pesticides, an environmental group told the Ninth Circuit.

The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to ensure the permit wouldn’t jeopardize any listed species or harm their habitat, according to the filing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Center for Biological Diversity told the court Monday that the agencies also failed to complete a consultation under the Endangered Species Act before finalizing the permit.

The permit allows the release ...