Glyphosate Updates: Court Blocks California from Labeling Glyphosate Carcinogen and Bayer Reaches Settlement Over Lawsuits

On June 21, a U.S. federal appeals court blocked the state of California from forcing Bayer to label Roundup herbicide with a cancer warning. Roundup contains the active ingredient glyphosate, which was controversially labeled as a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015. However, an investigation by Reuters later found that key information supporting the conclusion the pesticide does not cause cancer in animals had been omitted from the report. In 2016, the EPA affirmed glyphosate does not cause cancer, and in 2017 a long-term study by the National Cancer Institute following 50,000 people over 20 years also showed no link between glyphosate and cancer.

 

The ruling by the court indicated that the WHO’s finding alone was insufficient to support California’s demand to label all products that contain glyphosate, not just Roundup, with the phrase “known to the state of California to cause cancer.” The ruling permanently bars California from requiring the cancer warning on all glyphosate products. It is the result of a lawsuit filed in 2017 by Bayer and more than a dozen agricultural groups against California for requiring the cancer warning on the label.

 

The ruling was an important victory for Bayer, which has been dealing with a multitude of lawsuits related to glyphosate and the WHO’s cancer determination. Despite the fact that all other regulators around the world have examined the scientific studies done for glyphosate and determined glyphosate to be safe, the WHO’s finding touched off a storm of litigation against Monsanto (the original registrant of Roundup) and then Bayer after Bayer purchased Monsanto in 2018. Since the WHO’s ruling, Bayer has faced thousands of lawsuits from Roundup users, and losses in three trials resulted in juries ordering Bayer to pay billions of dollars to the plaintiffs. Bayer is appealing these verdicts.

 

On June 24, Bayer agreed to a settlement of $10.5 billion to almost 100,000 patients who claim they got non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from exposure to glyphosate. Up to $9.5 billion will be used to settle pending lawsuits against Bayer, with $1.25 billion set aside for potential future claims and to conduct additional research as to whether or not glyphosate causes cancer.

NAAA Mourns the Loss of Operator Gene Kritter

The members and staff of NAAA wish to express their sympathies to the family and friends of Gene Kritter of Culpeper, Virginia. The owner of Kritter Cropdusting Inc. was fatally injured June 18 when the helicopter he was piloting crashed just north of Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Robinson R66 helicopter struck a steel dove line while spraying corn and went down at 5:23 p.m. Kritter turned 65 and had celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary less than a week earlier. He was born June 13, 1955.

Eugene John Kritter III is survived by his wife Lynne and their three daughters, Elena, Dani and Josie. Gene was a well-liked and respected member of NAAA, the Northeast Agricultural Aviation Association and the North Carolina Agricultural Aviation Association. He was warm, engaging and passionate about flying, farming, agricultural aviation and most importantly, his family. As an aerial applicator for the past 28 years, Gene serviced farmers primarily in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina. His helicopter application service was based at Ground Rush Farm, Gene and Lynne’s 150-acre farm in Culpeper.

Gene was a well-known and beloved member of his local community. He frequently sponsored and donated helicopter rides to local charity events. He could be found every weekend running a charity 5K, 10K or half marathon with his family. He coached countless volleyball, soccer and basketball teams for his girls. He flew newlyweds to their receptions and flew his family on adventures around the world. He gave away extraordinary moments and memories of joy, fun and warmth to everyone around him as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. He did it all with a constant smile on his face.

Together with his wife of 30 years, Lynne, Gene created a family built on love and adventure. It is fitting that Gene and Lynne met while skydiving. On their 10th anniversary, the couple parachuted into their own party. Gene lived to see his three girls all become certified skydivers.

Gene and Lynne Kritter celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary less than a week before his fatal accident.

Gene took great pride in being an ag pilot, as he explained to Agricultural Aviation in 2017. “I love that it needs to be done and it needs to be done now, and that it really has just a huge impact for the farmers and on their crop,” he said. Kritter Cropdusting Inc. is determined to carry on Gene’s legacy of hard work and exceptional customer service. The company is up and running, and the crew is still flying and spraying despite the loss of their captain.

The family will hold a celebration of Gene’s life at their farm in Culpeper when social distancing restrictions are relaxed. The family has asked that donations in Gene’s memory be made to Sisters of the Skies, a charity that supports minority women in the aviation industry. Click here to make an online donation or visit sistersoftheskies.org to learn more about the organization’s mission.

NAAA Mourns the Loss of Ag Pilot 'Eddie' Charles Gideons Jr.

NAAA extends its sympathies to the family and friends of Eddie" Charles Edward Gideons, Jr. Eddie was killed in an ag aviation accident on June 16, 2020. Eddie was born on February 21, 1964 in Atmore, Alabama. He began his flying career in 2003 with J.W. Wallace of Wallace Flying, Inc. serving as his mentor. He is survived by his wife Tammy Smith, his mother, six children, three siblings and nine grandchildren.

 

Visitation for Eddie was June 22. Funeral services were held on June 23 at the McCullough Christian Center, followed by burial at the Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Oak Grove, Florida. To read Eddie’s obituary, click here. No charity or other fund has been established at this time to honor his memory.

FAA Intends to Extend Medical Certificate Expirations and Other SFAR Provisions Beyond June 30

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic NAAA has been in close contact with numerous federal and state regulatory agencies including the FAA regarding the challenges of complying with renewing licenses, which has become nearly impossible due COVID-19 shutting down compliance offices in both the private and public sector. In response to this situation, in April the FAA issued a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) that extended, among other things, medical certificates, flight reviews and knowledge tests. These extensions were good for expirations that occurred between March 31 and June 30.

 

With the June 30 deadline quickly approaching and the continued COVID-19 related shutdowns of government facilities and limited access to CFIs, DPEs and AMEs, NAAA joined in another letter requesting an extension of the SFAR exemptions. Last week the FAA announced it is working on a rule that will extend the items contained in the SFAR to a date later than the current June 30 deadline. This extension is still being worked out, but more details on how the FAA plans to extend the SFAR should be available soon.

 

NAAA has a scheduled call with the FAA on June 26 and will keep the membership apprised of the FAA’s actions to extend these expiration dates. The original relief in SFAR 118 issued in April included the following:

• Medical Certificates: The FAA extended the validity periods of medical certificates expiring between March 31 and May 31 through June 30. This is an important distinction between the FAA’s previous decision to simply suspend enforcement actions against expired medical certificates, which could have potentially caused insurance complications. 

• Flight Reviews: The FAA is offering a three-calendar-month “grace period” for pilots whose flight reviews expire between March 1 and June 30. However, there are two conditions to be eligible for this extension: The pilot must have logged at least 10 hours of pilot in command time (PIC) within the 12 calendar months preceding the month the flight review was due in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated. Eligible pilots must complete FAA Safety Team online courses totaling at least three Wings credits. The courses must have been completed in January or later to meet this requirement, according to the rule. For Robinson R-22 and R-44 pilots, the 10 hours of PIC time noted above must be in an R-22 or R-44, provided the pilot has at least 200 hours of helicopter time with at least 50 hours in an applicable Robinson helicopter.  R-22 or R-44 pilots with less than the above level of experience may extend their flight review an additional three months provided that of their 10 hours of PIC time in an R-22 or R-44, three hours has occurred in the three calendar months preceding the month the flight review was due, and  they complete a minimum of three hours of self-study that includes specific subjects as denoted in the SFAR. 

• Knowledge Tests: Applicants whose knowledge tests expire between March and June will have their knowledge tests’ validity extended by three months.

• Flight Instructors: Unlike pilot certificates, flight instructor certificates expire every two years. The FAA will extend the validity of flight instructor certificates that expired between March 31 and May 31 until June 30.

• Inspection Authorization: Airframe and powerplant mechanics with inspection authorization who were not able to meet the first-year renewal requirements by March have until June 30 to complete one of the listed activities to meet the first-year renewal requirements.  

You can get the very latest policy guidance on the COVID-19 pandemic important to agricultural aviators at AgAviation.org/covidresources.

Last Chance to Provide Accurate Data for Agricultural Aviation Industry, Please Complete FAA Survey

Last Chance to Provide Accurate Data for Agricultural Aviation Industry, Please Complete FAA Survey

 

The Federal Aviation Administration’s 42nd annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey (GA Survey) is coming to an end. If you are selected to participate in this year’s survey, you will receive either an email or postcard invitation to complete the GA Survey soon. You may complete the survey online, or a survey form will be mailed to you along with a postage-paid envelope. There are only a couple of weeks left to submit responses. Please complete the survey if you received one.  It is important for us to collect valuable data about our industry to pinpoint our education and safety programs.

 

If you have three or more aircraft and have been receiving survey requests for each individual aircraft, the GA survey coordinators have created a shorter version of the survey that you can fill out for aggregate reporting to reduce the time required to submit a response.

 

Data from this survey are used by governmental agencies and industry to:

·        Compute safety metrics, such as fatal accidents rates

·        Understand the impact of the GA industry on jobs, economic output, and investments in aviation infrastructure

·        Track the success of safety initiatives, including avionics recommendations

·        Determine funding for infrastructure and service needs

·        Assess the impact of regulatory changes

 

Of particular importance to the aerial application industry is using the GA survey data to calculate an accurate accident rate for our industry, which is valuable for demonstrating the continuously improving safety of aerial application. To do that, the FAA needs an accurate tally of the hours flown in 2019. It only takes 10-15 minutes to complete the survey, which you can do online or on a survey form that will be mailed to you with a postage-paid envelope. Or, call Tetra Tech toll-free at 1-800-826-1797. The information is confidential and will only be used for statistical purposes and will not be published or released in any form that would reveal an individual participant.

 

 

Court Allows Farmers to Use Dicamba In Their Possession

The court saga over dicamba continues with a small victory for farmers who had already purchased one of the affected dicamba herbicides for use during the 2020 growing season. The events began on June 3 when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued a ruling that immediately banned current U.S. registrations of certain low-volatility dicamba herbicide products. BASF’s Engenia^®, Corteva’s FeXapan^® and Bayer’s XtendiMax^® dicamba herbicide-related products are affected by the decision.

 

On June 8, the EPA issued a cancellation order that provided clarity for farmers on what the court’s ruling meant for this year’s crops. The EPA order said growers and commercial applicators may use existing stocks of the three dicamba products that were in their possession June 3. The user must follow the previously approved label and cease use of these products after July 31, 2020.

 

In response, on June 11 the original plaintiffs in the case filed for an emergency motion to immediately vacate the EPA’s cancellation order and to hold the EPA in contempt for issuing the order. They claimed the EPA cancellation order defied the court’s June 3 decision by allowing for continued use of the three dicamba products.

 

The 9th Circuit Court ruled against this petition June 19, allowing EPA’s cancellation order to remain in effect. This means growers will be able to continue to use their existing stocks of the three dicamba products until July 31. While this court drama does not impact aerial applicators because none of the products were labeled for aerial use, NAAA will continue to monitor the situation since it is highly likely environmental activists will continue to use this strategy to try to circumvent the EPA’s science-based decision-making in their attempts to ban pesticides.

Received Your 2020 Membership Directory Yet? If Not, Let Us Know

By now all NAAA members should have received their copy of the 2020 NAAA Membership Directory. If you did not receive the new membership directory, please contact NAAA’s Marisa Beam at mbeam@agaviation.org to request a replacement copy.

NAAA is aware of a few instances where some members’ directory issues were misdelivered to another member in their state. The delivery mistakes were due to errors by the U.S. Postal Service in at least one regional processing center where workers neglected to separate at least a couple of bound stacks of directories grouped by members in the same state. Each copy was individually postmarked, but the delivery post office delivered the entire stack to the member listed on the top copy of the bound directories. Those members notified NAAA of the mistaken deliveries and graciously dropped off the individually postmarked directories intended for their neighboring members at their local post office for redelivery.

NAAA informed its printer of the delivery issues, which then notified the bulk mail center in Pennsylvania where the directory mailing originated. A USPS business service network representative acknowledged that the regional plant and local delivery offices appear to have processed the bundles in error. The USPS representative further stated that she had notified the regional plant and delivery office of the top recipients of the errors to address the issue of how to correctly process bundled pieces with their employees.

While these bundled misdeliveries appear to be limited to a few isolated instances, if you have not gotten your copy of the 2020 NAAA Membership Directory yet, please let us know and we will send a replacement copy. Although the delivery errors were beyond NAAA’s control, we apologize for the delay and want to ensure all members have access to this indispensable resource. Once again, if you did not receive the new membership directory, contact NAAA’s Marisa Beam at mbeam@agaviation.org or (202) 546-5722 to request a replacement copy.

NAAA Offering Great Rates for Your Ag Aviation Expo Hotel in Savannah

Join us for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah, Dec. 7-10! While the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo is months away, you may have concerns about traveling to Savannah, attending or exhibiting at our annual convention. NAAA is working on plans to help with social distancing throughout our convention, as well as with facilities on their steps for additional disinfecting/sanitizing during our show. We are proceeding as is for our Ag Aviation Expo and will keep you informed of any changes.

 

Besides the networking, education and fun at the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo, enjoy a city full of great restaurants, nightlife, shopping, attractions and history. The NAAA hotel room block is now open! It is important for attendees to stay in the NAAA room block. We get the best hotel room rates in the heart of the Savannah district. If the NAAA hotel block is not filled, we cannot offer these great rates for future years!

 

 

Save the Date for the 2020 Ag Aviation Expo

• Dates: Dec. 7–10, 2020
• Location: Savannah 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: Opens July 1
• Exhibitor Booth Sales: Large booth sales and Diamond sponsorship booth sales are currently open; this includes aircraft, islands and 10’x30'. 10'x10' and 10'x20' booth sales open on Thursday, July 9. Please email Lindsay if you’d like to be contacted regarding large booth space.
• Sponsorship Opportunities: Sponsorships are now available. View the opportunities online. Please email Lindsay if you would like to secure a sponsorship from last year or would like to be contacted about 2020 opportunities! We have sponsorships available for all budget sizes.
• Auction Donations: Thank you to Pratt & Whitney Canada for donating a PT6-34AG engine to this year’s NAAA Live Auction. While we’re still several months away from the Ag Aviation Expo, we are already accepting donations 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

The 2020 NAAA hotel room block is coordinated through Visit Savannah, which is 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). All room blocks close Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. ET.

• Westin Savannah Harbor: $150/night plus taxes
• Westin Cancellation: For each reservation cancelled after Oct. 30, 2020, a nonrefundable one night room + 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 taxes.
• Hyatt Regency Savannah: $148/night plus taxes
• Savannah Marriott Riverfront: $142/night plus taxes

All room rates above are single/double occupancy and do not include taxes.

 

Book your room today by clicking here, call the housing bureau at (912) 644-6465 or email reservations@visitsavannah.com. Please note reservations are taken over the phone Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. If you cannot call during those hours, please email your reservations details or book your room online here.

Shine a Light on Our Unsung Heroes with NAAA’s Quick and Easy Online Awards Form

 

One of the highlights of each NAAA convention is the chance to honor a distinct group of the committed individuals and companies for their service to the agricultural aviation industry. Their stories are truly inspiring, making it a rewarding experience for the audience and award recipients alike. Receiving an NAAA Award is not a one-night or even a one-year honor, however. The significance doesn’t fade with time in the eyes of those members who have been fortunate enough to be honored by their industry peers for a job well done.

 

The aerial application industry is filled with exceptional people who go above and beyond the call of duty, often with little fanfare. So go ahead—make someone’s day, year or career by nominating him or her for a 2020 NAAA Award! Chances are you may have some extra time on your hands if you’ve been sheltering in place. Take advantage this unique interlude to help NAAA identify these unsung heroes. We’ve made the award nominations process even easier with NAAA’s new online awards submission form.

 

The new online submission form is the fastest and simplest way to nominate someone in just a few clicks, but the traditional PDF-based awards forms are also available options.

• 2020 Awards Nomination Online Submission Form (recommended)

• 2020 Award Nomination Form (Fillable PDF)

• 2020 Award Nomination Form (print version)

Completed entries using the traditional PDF forms may be emailed or faxed to NAAA at information@agaviation.org or (202) 546-5726 (fax).

 

There are nine NAAA Award categories and one NAAREF Award. The nomination deadline is Sept. 10, but early nominations are encouraged. The longer you wait, the busier you’ll be as the summer season approaches.

NAAA Award Categories

Agrinaut Award: Honors an agricultural aircraft operator, operating organization or allied member company that has made an outstanding contribution in the field of ag aircraft operations. 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: Recognizes an NAAA member 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. (Presented by the NAAA Allied Industry Committee.)

 

Delta Air Lines “Puffer” Award: Recognizes an 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. (Presented by NAAREF.)

 

John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Honors a pilot with five or fewer years of experience in the agricultural aviation industry who has an exemplary safety record and/or has contributed to safety in ag aviation. This award no longer has carryover nominations from year to year; a new nomination must be submitted every year.

 

Larsen-Miller Community Service Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by a member to his or her community.

 

Opal & Bill Binnion Memorial Award: Acknowledges those who contribute to NAAA in its efforts to educate the public about aerial application. (Presented by the NAAA Support Committee.)

 

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 his or her company.

 

William O. Marsh Safety Award: Recognizes significant achievements in safety, safety education or an outstanding operational safety program.

 

The 2020 NAAA Award recipients will be announced in the fall and honored at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet Dec. 10 in Savannah.

NAAA’s ‘Ag Wings of Tomorrow’ Scholarship is Back with $20K Available in ’20

Attention, operators and aspiring ag pilots: The NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship is back! Thanks to the generous support of BASF and Thrush Aircraft, $20,000 in aid is available via the 2020 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program to assist four aspiring ag pilots in their journey.

 

The goal of NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship Program is to strengthen the aerial application industry by helping operator members bring new pilots into the profession and help fund their training. Applicants must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member, and scholarship recipients may use the proceeds for flight training or aviation or ag-related coursework at a university, college, community college or other institution of higher learning. A stipend for a trainee in an NAAA Operator-sponsored apprentice program is also permissible. The scholarship program is administered by NAAA and funded by educational grants provided by BASF and Thrush.

 

This year, NAAA will award up to four scholarships valued at $5,000 each. This is a win-win for NAAA Operator members and individuals seeking training funds to support their pursuit of becoming a professional ag pilot.

 

NAAA awarded $5,000 scholarships to four aspiring ag pilots at the 2019 Ag Aviation Expo. From L–R, NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship recipients Caleb Swanson, Raudel Mendoza, Liam Zahm and Jacob Radermacher.

How to Apply

To be considered for the 2020 scholarship, along with completing the two-part application, every applicant must submit:

• A letter of recommendation from the NAAA Operator member sponsoring the applicant.
• An essay of 250 words or less explaining why you want to pursue a career in agricultural aviation and how you would use NAAA’s “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship to further your education and training.
• A one-page résumé or list of activities detailing all agricultural and aviation experiences, education and training.

NAAA will award the recipients of the 2020 “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarships in December at the Ag Aviation Expo in Savannah. Last year NAAA awarded $5,000 scholarships to four young individuals who represent the future of ag aviation: Raudel Mendoza of Sunray, Texas, Jacob Radermacher of Shipshewana, Indiana, Caleb Swanson of Canton, South Dakota, and Liam Zahm of Marne, Michigan.

 

To learn more about the 2020 NAAA “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship, please review the instructions included with the 2020 application. Please contact NAAA at (202) 546-5722 or information@agaviation.org for clarification about any of the application requirements.

 

While the applicant must be sponsored by an NAAA Operator member, NAAA membership is not a prerequisite for the person applying for the scholarship. Becoming an NAAA Associate member, however, is a great way for candidates to learn more about the industry and augment their training.

 

The deadline to apply for the 2020 “Ag Wings of Tomorrow” Scholarship is Aug. 31.

Want to Win Thousands in Educational Scholarships? Enter Our Support Scholarship Contest!

Attention, higher-education students: Don’t miss out on the opportunity to compete for a combined $3,000 in educational scholarships. The deadline for the 2020 Support Scholarship Essay Contest is Sept. 15. The NAAA Support Committee will award a $2,000 scholarship as top prize and Covington Aircraft Engines has generously agreed to sponsor a $1,000 scholarship.

 

The theme for this year’s contest is “Why is Agricultural Aviation Important?”  The scholarship is not restricted to pursuing a “flying career.” Any educational pursuit beyond high school (at any age) is eligible. The competition is open to all NAAA members and their family members.

 

Entrants must be a senior in high school or be registered in higher education by the fall semester of 2020.  Previous winners are not eligible to compete. Submissions must be an essay of at least 1,500 words or a 5-minute multi-media presentation. Submissions should be sent as an email attachment by Sept. 15 to information@agaviation.org. More information about eligibility requirements, contest guidelines and sample essays from past scholarship recipients are available online here.