Funding for the registration specialist was provided by legislative action last session, and by EPA as suggested by the Chairman of the Pesticide Harmonization Committee at their first meeting in Minot in October 1999. The Pesticide Control Board through the funding of the Minor Use Fund, has expedited the process of getting chemicals into the EPA review process. The Pesticide Control Board, has also provided funds for research to look at new products that have very limited information available for minor crops or minor uses. The price differential issue is a tougher one to resolve. While state governments or grower groups may encourage companies to register certain products for certain uses, the decision is up to the registrants.
Companies also control the marketing and the pricing of their products.
The 1999 ND Legislature gave the Agriculture Commissioner the authority to authorize the sale and use of a crop protection product that has a Canadian label, if the product is the same or substantially similar to a product registered in the U.S. and its importation does not violate federal law. That lawsuit is moving forward. Prior to filing the lawsuit, my office, the Attorney General's office and EPA collaborated to draft language that will resolve the technicalities we came across last summer. This federal legislation would allow importation of Canadian registered chemicals to be transported across the border and used in North Dakota. On the state level, HB 1445 describes a process which would require my office to charge a registration fee equal to the extra costs incurred by North Dakota farmers and providing the fees be rebated back to the farmers on the basis of their use of the product.