March 30, 2017
NAAA eNewsletter

EPA Denies Environmentalists Petition Calling for Chlorpyrifos Ban

The EPA denied a petition from environmentalists yesterday calling for a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos. In October 2015, in response to the petition filed in 2007 from the Pesticide Action Network North America and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Obama administration’s EPA proposed to revoke all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos. The agency was under a court-ordered deadline to respond to the petition by Friday.
 
Earlier this month, NAAA met with EPA to discuss its proposed decision on the chlorpyrifos ban and earlier this year in January, NAAA submitted comments to keep chlorpyrifos on the market for aerial application. NAAA communicated to EPA that our industry mitigates drift now better than ever. NAAA, along with its many agricultural allies, communicated to the agency that it had misinterpreted the Food Quality Protection Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by trying to establish a standard of “absolute certainty that no harm will result” from a pesticide instead of a standard of “reasonable certainty that no harm will result.” We also stressed concern that EPA justified revoking tolerances for chlorpyrifos in part by relying on a secret study from Columbia University that was not made available to EPA or anyone else for review. NAAA also joined dozens of its agricultural partners in signing a letter to EPA Administrator Pruitt about chlorpryifos. The letter states, “Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely used active ingredients in insecticides in the world. Since it was first registered in the United States in 1965, chlorpyrifos has played a key role in pest management efforts in the United States…”
 
EPA posted a notice to its website Wednesday evening, saying it will address the questions raised in the petition during a broader review of the pesticide that it expects to finish in 2022. That review will consider the concerns about potential neurodevelopmental toxicity in children that were raised by the environmental activist groups in their petition. "Despite several years of study, the science addressing neurodevelopmental effects remains unresolved," EPA wrote in the notice. It said that "further evaluation of the science during the remaining time for completion of registration review is warranted to achieve greater certainty as to whether the potential exists for adverse neurodevelopmental effects to occur from current human exposures to chlorpyrifos."
 
The decision added that "EPA has therefore concluded that it will not complete the human health portion of the registration review or any associated tolerance revocation of chlorpyrifos without first attempting to come to a clearer scientific resolution on those issues."

Oregon Aerial Application Ban Update and How You Can Help

Oregonians for Food and Shelter (OFS) has been hard at work since our October update on the Lincoln County ballot measure that would ban aerial application.
 
The ballot measure, now labeled 21-177, will be on Lincoln County’s May 16, 2017 ballot and would ban aerial application, and potentially air-blast sprayers and a few other methods that deposit pesticides into the air. It would also allow citizens to use “direct action” to enforce the measure, which is defined as “any activities or actions carried out to directly enforce the rights and prohibitions contained within this law,” and would make such actions immune to civil and criminal charges.
 
The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners opposes the measure and will place a statement in each voter pamphlet that reads “We acknowledge concerns within our community about the application of aerial pesticides and want to encourage deeper dialog within Lincoln County where we can arrive at common ground on protecting the public’s health. Measure 21-177 is not that approach… Measure 21-177 is not the proper tool to protect Lincoln County. We encourage a ‘no’ vote.”
 
The statement shows that county commissioners worry about several broadly-defined terms in the ballot measure, including “aerial,” “direct action,” (which the measure would give individuals the right to use to enforce the measure), and “corporations.” 
 
Last weekend, Citizens for a Healthy County published an op-ed response to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners in “The News Guard,” a Lincoln County newspaper, about “the hazards of aerial pesticide spraying.” The op-ed claims that terms like “aerial spraying” are not vague in the measure and that “direct action” would not allow individuals to take the law into their own hands.
 
The op-ed is also riddled with inaccuracies, such as the claim that “Any permitted aerial pesticide applications in Ore. requires that the holder of the permit have a currently valid FCC pilot's [license].”
 
This week, an environmental activist published another op-ed, this time in Ore.’s second largest daily newspaper, The Register Guard. The op-ed claims helicopters are spraying “cancerous concoctions of herbicides” and that helicopters will spray 2,4-D, which is “half of what is known as Agent Orange…” The author continues “At least two schools in Lane County have herbicides flowing from their water fountains,” and encourages readers to sign an initiative to ban aerial application in Lane County.
 
To combat misinformation, OFS is working with Hilltop Public Solutions to campaign against the measure and will focus on building a broad coalition of trade associations, businesses, and industries ranging from fishing to timber to aerial application. They are looking to develop local spokespersons, a digital presence, and volunteers to further strengthen opposition to the measure.
 
As part of their digital strategy, OFS has launched a website and a Facebook page that you can “like” to support and stay up to date on the ballot measure.
 
With just seven weeks left until Lincoln County will vote on the ballot measure, NAAA will continue to work with OFS to help the public understand the harmful effects that a ban on aerial application would have on Lincoln County. This week, NAAA donated $2,000 to the effort to defeat the aerial application ballot measure.
 
If you'd like to contribute to OFS you can do so here: www.ofsonline.org/donate
 
If you'd like to contribute to the effort specifically meant to defeat the aerial application ballot measure, you can donate to the Coalition to Defeat Measure 21-177 here: www.protectfamilyfarmsandforests.org/donate/

Agricultural Groups Respond to Environmentalist Letter on Regulations

On March 21, environmental organizations like Earthjustice, the Environmental Working Group and Food & Water Watch sent a letter on regulatory legislation to Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Claire McCaskill (D-MI). Now, agricultural organizations have responded.
 
The environmental letter claims that H.R. 5, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017, should instead be named the “Filthy Food Act” because it “would arbitrarily cut science out of the regulatory process…”
 
The bill, introduced by Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), would require agencies writing a new regulation to consider the legal authority under which the regulation may be proposed.
 
The bill would also end judicial deference to agency interpretations of laws passed by Congress. Currently, courts give what’s known as “Chevron deference” to agencies, meaning as long as an agency’s interpretation of a law is “reasonable,” the court will not overturn an agency action or interpretation even if the court disagrees with the agency’s interpretation.
 
The bill would also require agencies to submit a statement on the cumulative economic impact of a regulation on small businesses (like aerial application businesses).
 
H.R. 5 would also prohibit new billion-dollar regulations from taking effect until courts can resolve litigation challenging them.
 
Finally, the bill would require agencies to publish online summaries of proposed rules in language understandable by the public.
 
Environmental groups claim this bill would slow down the regulatory process, paralyzing “the federal response to emerging … threats.” They also write “if the ‘Filthy Food Act’ had been enacted, critical food safety rules and guidance—not to mention protections to keep air clean, get lead out of gasoline and paint, improve school foods, and inform consumers about what’s in the foods they eat—might still be held up in unnecessary, wasteful reviews and needless red tape.”
 
NAAA has joined other agricultural organizations on a letter to Senators Johnson and McCaskill supporting H.R. 5, emphasizing the importance of a regulatory process that takes into account all stakeholders and provides “sufficient time to examine, evaluate, and respond to its [regulatory] proposal.”
 
The letter points out that its signers are experts in agriculture and food policy, and that H.R. 5 would not be detrimental to food production. It shows that one of the signers of the letter from environmentalists, the Environmental Working Group, claimed apples are one of the “dirty dozen” foods because apples are “contaminated with pesticides.” Per the image below, however, pesticide residues for apples were over 96 percent below EPA’s tolerance level.
 

 
H.R. 5 has now passed the House and NAAA hopes the Senate will soon approve the bill and send it to the president’s desk for final signature to make the regulatory process more fair and economically efficient than ever.

NAAA Has Successful Meeting with EPA Pesticide Heads Promoting Registration of Crop Protection Products for Aerial Use

NAAA President Dominique Youakim, Government Relations Chairman Damon Reabe, Executive Director Andrew Moore, and Coordinator of Government and Public Relations Christian Rice along with USDA’s Clint Hoffman met with EPA earlier this month to discuss pesticide product registration.

 

The group met with Rick Keigwin, the acting director of the Office of Pesticide Programs, and about 15 other EPA officials. Reabe led the discussion focusing on AgDRIFT models that determine movement of applied product from the moving ag aircraft and how the model could more accurately reflect drift mitigation based on inputs of drift reduction practices are common in our industry.

 

The group focused in on sulfonylurea labels that require extremely coarse droplet sizes, which is not feasible for turbine-powered ag aircraft based on the current nozzles. Instead, a shorter boom (65 percent of the aircraft’s wingspan) with smaller, coarse-sized droplet is achievable and decreases drift according to AgDRIFT.

 

Finally, the group discussed EPA’s economic and risk analysis in regards to pesticide registration. Reabe theorized that EPA does not take into account the environmental and economic damage that is done when a product is pulled from the market, which lowers yields and leads farmers to farm more land. This, in turn, requires more fertilizer use, more water use, more pesticide use, and more fuel to plant, fertilize, and harvest enough food, biofuel, and fiber to meet the world’s needs. EPA admitted they have not taken this into account and do not have the economic resources to do so but would welcome studies on the topic performed by a university, USDA, or other credible institution.

Free Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-Ins Scheduled for April in California and Texas

 Air Tractor and Transland are hosting a series of Operation S.A.F.E. clinics in California and in Texas starting next week. Any licensed operator or agricultural pilot is welcome to participate in an Operation S.A.F.E. clinic.

California Fly-Ins

The first Operation S.A.F.E. clinic is slated for April 4 at Colusa County Airport in northern California. Another clinic is scheduled for April 6 at Valley Air Crafts, an authorized Air Tractor dealer. The event will be conducted at Mefford Field Airport, in Tulare, Calif. The California clinics will be led by two highly experienced Operation S.A.F.E. analysts, Dr. Richard Whitney of WRK of Oklahoma and Alan Corr of Agri-Spray Consulting. 
 
West Coast aerial applicators can schedule their Operation S.A.F.E. clinic session by contacting the California Agricultural Aircraft Association (CAAA) at (916) 645-9747 or terry.gage@CAAA.net. CAAA’s Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-Ins are sponsored by premier level sponsors Air Tractor, Transland, Dow AgroSciences, Valent and Valley Air Crafts. Supporting sponsors include Thrush Aircraft, Johnston Aircraft Service, World Fuel Services and USAIG.

Texas Fly-In

An Operation S.A.F.E. Texas Fly-In will be held April 12–13 at Air Tractor’s headquarters at Olney Municipal Airport (ONY). Dr. Dennis Gardisser, of WRK of Arkansas, a noted industry authority on drift mitigation, will administer the Texas Operation S.A.F.E. clinic. 
 
The Texas fly-in is a two-day, first-come-first served, come-and-go event. Attendees may attend either or both days of the fly-in. Air Tractor will provide a free lunch each day. Attendees also will have the opportunity to tour Air Tractor’s manufacturing facilities and network with others from the industry. Hotel accommodations and ground transportation between Wichita Falls and Olney are available for pilots staying overnight. A special rate is available at Homewood Suites by Hilton in Wichita Falls, Texas—just mention the Texas Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In when you make your reservations.
 
The Texas Operation S.A.F.E. clinic and events associated with it are free to participating operators and pilots, thanks to sponsors such as Dow AgroSciences, the Texas Agricultural Aviation Association, Lane Aviation, Roy Neal Insurance Agency and Neal Aircraft teaming up with Air Tractor and Transland. Pre-registration and additional information about the Texas Operation S.A.F.E. clinic are available at translandllc.com/2017-texas-fly-in.
 
NAAA members who fly the aircraft pattern-tested at the Operation S.A.F.E. clinic are eligible for rebate incentives from BASF. Participating applicators can earn up to $225 in rebates from BASF reimbursing them for NAAA membership dues or new spray equipment they purchased.

Save the Date for the 2017 Ag Aviation Expo

Are you wondering what the 2017 Ag Aviation Expo is? Following in the footsteps of other trade associations that have renamed their conventions, the NAAA Convention Committee voted to rename the NAAA Convention & Exposition the Ag Aviation Expo.
 

Save the Date for the 2017 Ag Aviation Expo

  • Dates: Dec. 4– 7, 2017
  • Location: Savannah International Trade & Convention Center. Some events will also take place at the Westin, which is located directly next to the convention center.
  • Schedule of Events: Current schedule here. Subject to change.
  • Hotel: Hotel details below.
  • Attendee Registration: Will open in July.
  • Exhibitor Booth Sales: Will open in July (date TBD). We start selling large booth space (aircraft, 10’x30’, 20’x20’ or larger) in March and April. Please email Lindsay if you’d like to be contacted regarding large booth space.
  • Sponsorship Opportunities: Will be available in March. Please email Lindsay if you would like to secure a sponsorship from last year or would like to be contacted about 2017 opportunities! We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes.
  • Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for their donation of a PT6-34AG Engine and to Air Tractor for their donation of a three blade Hartzell Propeller to this year’s NAAA Live Auction. While we’re still several months away from the Ag Aviation Expo, it’s never too early to donate an item for the Live and Silent Auction. The earlier you inform us of your auction donation, the more advertising you’ll receive on the NAAA website and in NAAA publications. Support the aerial application industry by donating an item today. Email Lindsay with your donation details.

Book Your Hotel Room

2017 NAAA Convention housing is coordinated through the Savannah Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Housing office. Please do not call the hotels directly; use the link and/or phone number below to book your room.
 
Rooms are available at the Westin Savannah Harbor (directly next to the convention center), Hyatt Regency Savannah and Savannah Marriott Riverfront hotels (across the river from the convention center and Westin – transportation provided). 
 
Book your room today by clicking here or calling the housing bureau at (912) 644-6465. Please note that reservations are taken Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. If you cannot call during those hours, please book your room online here.
 
PLEASE NOTE THE CANCELLATION POLICY FOR THE WESTIN FOR 2017. For each reservation canceled after Nov. 1, a non-refundable one night room and tax will be charged to the credit card on file. Guests who check out early (prior to the reserved check-out date) will be assessed one full night's room charge, plus applicable taxes. This was put in place in 2015 due to many people canceling rooms at the Westin a few days before the NAAA Convention, leaving dozens of rooms unfilled at that hotel. 

Complimentary Transportation & River Taxis

Complimentary river taxis and bus transportation will be provided between the hotels, convention center and the downtown Savannah entertainment district for all exhibitors and attendees.

Nominations Open for 2017 NAAA Awards

NAAA is now accepting nominations for the 2017 NAAA Awards. Do you have a rising pilot within your ranks? Do you admire certain NAAA members for their outstanding service to the industry or their community? Then don’t delay and send your nominations today! 

 

The aerial application industry is filled with exceptional individuals who go above and beyond, often with little fanfare. Please think about the special people you have known and worked with over the years and tell us why they deserve an NAAA Award.

 

This year’s award recipients will be honored at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet Dec. 7 at the 2017 Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah, Ga.

 

There are nine NAAA Award categories and one NAAREF award, the Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award. The Awards Nomination Form is available as print-only and fillable PDFs. To make a nomination, email or fax completed entries to NAAA at information@agaviation.org or (202) 546-5726. For typed submissions, please use the fillable form. Please call (202) 546-5722 with any questions. The nomination deadline is Sept. 8.

NAAA Award Categories: Deadline Sept. 8!

  • Agrinaut Award: Honors an agricultural aircraft operator or operating organization that has made an outstanding contribution in the field of ag aircraft operations. The recipient for the award must have been actively engaged in commercial agricultural application with an agricultural aircraft and the achievement cited shall have contributed to the "state-of-the-art" for the benefit of the agricultural aircraft industry as a whole.
  • Allied Industry Individual Award: Presented to NAAA members or staff and/or an allied industry individual who has significantly contributed their efforts for the benefit of the allied industry and the aerial application industry.
  • Delta Air Lines “Puffer” Award: Presented to the individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the design of agricultural aircraft and/or related equipment.
  • Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award: Recognizes individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions to the Operation S.A.F.E. program. This Award is presented by NAAREF.
  • John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Honors a pilot with five years or less experience in the agricultural aviation industry who has an exemplary safety record and/or has contributed to safety in ag aviation.
  • Larsen-Miller Community Service Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by a member to his/her community.
  • Opal & Bill Binnion Memorial Award: Acknowledges those who contribute to NAAA in its efforts to educate the public about aerial application.
  • Outstanding Service Award: Awards outstanding service to the commercial agricultural aviation industry or to its association.
  • Related Industry Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by an allied industry member and their company.
  • William O. Marsh Safety Award: Recognizes significant achievements in safety, safety education or an outstanding operational safety program.

Don't Forget to Upload—or Mail—Your GPS Data

As you know, NAAA has been working with Mississippi State University’s (MSU’s) Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL) to help determine when and where UAVs can operate safely with other aircraft operating at low altitudes, and released a letter calling on all operators to submit their GPS logs to the RFRL so they can work with FAA to develop regulations to keep agricultural aviators safe from UAVs in those areas where ag aviators are known to fly.
 
Many of you reached out to NAAA to let us know that the upload capacity on the RFRL website was not enough for you to upload all your data. Accordingly, RFRL has increased its capacity to 1GB to make it easier to upload your data logs.
 
NAAA and RFRL have also been alerted that some operators prefer to mail thumb drives of data than to upload the data online. So, if it's easier for you, we'd like to invite you to send your data via mail to:
 
Attn: Madison Dixon
114 Airport Dr.
Starkville, MS 39759
 
The RFRL is collecting data from operators on when and where low-level aviators fly to determine when and where UAVs can and cannot operate safely at low altitudes. NAAA is asking you to help show them where UAVs shouldn’t fly, or where UAVs should have higher safety standards, by providing your GPS logs so they can map areas that pose the greatest risk to manned aircraft.
 
The RFRL will use your GPS logs to craft recommendations to inform policy for drone use and make our airspace safer for everyone—including ag aviators. But they can only do this if they have your GPS logs.
 
This project has been sanctioned by NAAA staff and the NAAA Government Relations Committee, both of which strongly believe this will benefit ag aviators nationwide.
 
Thanks to those of you who have already uploaded your GPS logs to RFRL’s secure website. NAAA is looking forward to seeing how RFRL uses that data to improve safety for manned and unmanned aircraft alike.