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<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:11.25pt;margin-left:0in">
<b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#548235">EPA Seeks Public Comment on Draft Proposal to Improve Pest Resistance for Plant-Incorporated Protectants<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">EPA is accepting comments on a draft proposal to improve current insect resistance management (IRM) strategies for pests affecting Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn and cotton plant-incorporated
protectants (PIPs).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Bt PIPs are pesticidal substances that have been genetically engineered into corn and cotton plants. These modified plants then produce Bt proteins that are harmful to certain insect
pests. This has been accomplished by transferring specific genetic material from a bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), to the plant’s genome. The genetic material encodes these proteins that have specific toxicity to certain insect pests, but do not affect
mammals or non-target organisms. Beginning in 1995, EPA has registered numerous cotton and corn PIPs that have since been widely adopted by growers in the United States and other countries.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">This draft proposal provides an improved IRM framework that will help farmers prolong the durability of Bt PIPs from pests. The Agency is proposing to implement many of the recommendations
from a </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJlbWFpbCI6Implbm55d2ViZXJAZW1haWwuYXJpem9uYS5lZHUiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoiMTAxIiwic3Vic2NyaWJlcl9pZCI6IjEwMDU2NzgxMTEiLCJsaW5rX2lkIjoiMTAxNDU3MTk3NSIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpkaWdlc3QiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5lcGEuZ292L3NpdGVzL3Byb2R1Y3Rpb24vZmlsZXMvMjAxOC0wNy9kb2N1bWVudHMvcGFuZWxfbWVtYmVyc18wNzEzMjAxOC5wZGYiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjAwOTA0LjI2NjE1OTAxIn0.p-p6myqzmvGvxNYmORjjdpEdLgEqwka2Bw8s-QyrVuY"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0A528F">Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> -- as well as stakeholder groups -- to create the draft proposal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">EPA is specifically interested in feedback from grower organizations, crop consultants, state and local extension agencies, state departments of agriculture and USDA.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">After the comment period closes, EPA will modify the proposal as appropriate and work with registrants to finalize a new IRM framework for Bt corn and cotton PIP registrations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The public comment period will be open for 60 days in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0682 at </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJlbWFpbCI6Implbm55d2ViZXJAZW1haWwuYXJpem9uYS5lZHUiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoiMTAyIiwic3Vic2NyaWJlcl9pZCI6IjEwMDU2NzgxMTEiLCJsaW5rX2lkIjoiMjY4NDQ2MzgiLCJ1cmkiOiJicDI6ZGlnZXN0IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL3d3dy5yZWd1bGF0aW9ucy5nb3YiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjAwOTA0LjI2NjE1OTAxIn0.EhZw24MLvq40koV9M-GPyXnchHwOXFe2QLLsxe4uoYs"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0A528F">www.regulations.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">
and will close on Nov. 7, 2020. </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJlbWFpbCI6Implbm55d2ViZXJAZW1haWwuYXJpem9uYS5lZHUiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoiMTAzIiwic3Vic2NyaWJlcl9pZCI6IjEwMDU2NzgxMTEiLCJsaW5rX2lkIjoiMTAxNDU3MTk4NyIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpkaWdlc3QiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2JldGEucmVndWxhdGlvbnMuZ292L2RvY3VtZW50L0VQQS1IUS1PUFAtMjAxNy0wNjE3LTAwNzgiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjAwOTA0LjI2NjE1OTAxIn0.KOEUyIcvtniKeQlja5hYFNlG5sEsiLxH4GZu-80sriw"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0A528F">Read
the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel report</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> for more information on this action, and
</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJlbWFpbCI6Implbm55d2ViZXJAZW1haWwuYXJpem9uYS5lZHUiLCJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoiMTA0Iiwic3Vic2NyaWJlcl9pZCI6IjEwMDU2NzgxMTEiLCJsaW5rX2lkIjoiMTAxNDU3MTk5NSIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpkaWdlc3QiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5lcGEuZ292L3JlZ3VsYXRpb24tYmlvdGVjaG5vbG9neS11bmRlci10c2NhLWFuZC1maWZyYS9pbnNlY3QtcmVzaXN0YW5jZS1tYW5hZ2VtZW50LWJ0LXBsYW50LWluY29ycG9yYXRlZCIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA5MDQuMjY2MTU5MDEifQ.j8mukFQaIXs16GbUWVI5w77jPTR96Y637HN4JV-ZK3U"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0A528F">visit
EPA’s website</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> to learn more about Bt PIPs and IRM strategies in general.</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Jennifer Weber<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Pesticide Safety Education Program<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Maricopa County Cooperative Extension<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">MARICOPA COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">4341 E. Broadway Road<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Phoenix, AZ 85040-8807<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Office: (602) 827-8222<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">jennyweber@arizona.edu<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">extension.arizona.edu/maricopa<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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