WASHINGTON—U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) have introduced S. 175, legislation to eliminate what they consider to be a burdensome, costly and redundant U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit requirement for applications of pesticides. “This double layer of red tape is costly to the agriculture industry and consumers. It also takes aim at public health departments by... read more
ANLA says IR-4 Project is threatened with elimination under USDA’s proposed 2013 budget. The IR-4 Project was established by Congress in 1963 to assist domestic growers of fruits, vegetables, herbs, nursery and greenhouse plants, and other specialty crops by facilitating the registration of safe and effective technologies, through U.S. EPA, to protect them from insects, plant diseases, weeds and other pests.... read more
Standards to promote sustainable design influence landscape design and installation. The LEED 2012 third public comment period was open March 1-20, which marks the start of the LEED 2012 program delivery process. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), this third draft of the rating system is focused on providing a globally applicable, simple-to-use, technically advanced system. LEED 2012 will... read more
That sigh of relief you might have heard late last month was the collective exhalation from contractors across the country expressing their relief that two rule changes that would drastically alter the H-2B visiting worker program were put on hold until later this year. On December 16, Congress included language as part of its spending bill that delayed the change... read more
BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, OHIO — The following is a H-2B news bulletin released Nov. 11 by the Ohio Landscape Association: Legislation has been proposed that would provide temporary protection for a few job categories from the H-2B wage rule, but will ultimately allow it to go into effect and will serve as a tool to potentially undermine legal challenges to the rule.... read more
ALBANY, NY – To the dismay of the chemical lawn care industry and the New York State School Boards Association and to the delight of anti-pesticide activists, Governor David Paterson this week signed a bill banning the use of commonly used pesticides on school ball fields and daycare playgrounds. School s will have one year to phase out their use.... read more
