And Glufosinate-Resistant DAS-81910-7 Cotton
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Dow AgroSciences Company Petition for Determination of Nonregulated Status of 2,4-D- and Glufosinate-Resistant DAS-81910-7 Cotton OECD Unique Identifier: DAS-8191Ø-7 Environmental Assessment April 2015 Agency Contact Sidney Abel USDA, APHIS, BRS 4700 River Road Riverdale, MD 20737 Fax: (301) 734-8669 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’S TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Mention of companies or commercial products in this report does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over others not mentioned. USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of any product mentioned. Product names are mentioned solely to report factually on available data and to provide specific information. This publication reports research involving pesticides. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies before they can be recommended. Table of Contents Page 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................ 10 1.2 Purpose of Product ............................................................................................. 10 1.3 Coordinated Regulatory Framework Review and Regulatory Review .............. 11 1.4 Purpose and Need for USDA-APHIS Action .................................................... 13 1.5 Public Involvement ............................................................................................ 14 1.6 Relationship to Other Environmental Documents ............................................. 16 1.7 Issues Considered ............................................................................................... 16 2 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................... 18 2.1 Areas and Acreage of Cotton Production ........................................................... 18 2.1.1 Land Use for Cotton Production .................................................................. 18 2.1.2 Conventional Cotton Production Areas and Acreage .................................. 18 2.1.3 GE Varieties of Cotton................................................................................. 22 2.2 Agronomic Practices in Cotton Production ........................................................ 23 2.2.1 Tillage 24 2.2.2 Crop Rotation ............................................................................................... 26 2.2.3 Nutrient and Fertilizer Use ........................................................................... 29 2.2.4 Insect and Pest Management ........................................................................ 30 2.2.5 Weed Management ...................................................................................... 33 2.3 Organic Cotton Production................................................................................. 35 2.4 Physical Environment ........................................................................................ 37 2.4.1 Water Resources .......................................................................................... 37 2.4.2 Soil Quality .................................................................................................. 40 2.4.3 Air Quality ................................................................................................... 41 2.4.4 Climate Change ............................................................................................ 44 2.5 Biological Resources .......................................................................................... 45 2.5.1 Animal Communities ................................................................................... 46 2.5.2 Plant Communities ....................................................................................... 49 2.5.3 Microorganisms ........................................................................................... 52 2.6 Human Health .................................................................................................... 53 2.6.1 Worker Health and Safety ............................................................................ 53 2.6.2 Public Health ................................................................................................ 54 2.7 Animal Feed ....................................................................................................... 56 2.8 Socioeconomics .................................................................................................. 58 2.8.1 Domestic Socioeconomic Environment ....................................................... 58 2.8.2 Organic Cotton Production .......................................................................... 60 2.8.3 International Economic Environment .......................................................... 61 3 ALTERNATIVES.................................................................................................... 65 3.1 No Action Alternative: Continuation as a Regulated Article ............................ 65 ii Table of Contents Page 3.2 Preferred Alternative: Determination that DAS-81910-7 Cotton Is No Longer a Regulated Article ............................................................................................... 65 3.3 Alternatives Considered But Rejected from Further Consideration .................. 66 3.3.1 Prohibit Any DAS-81910-7 Cotton from Being Released .......................... 66 3.3.2 Approve the Petition in Part ......................................................................... 66 3.3.3 Isolation Distance between DAS-81910-7 Cotton and Non-GE Cotton Production and Geographical Restrictions.......................................... 67 3.3.4 Requirement of Testing for DAS-81910-7 Cotton ...................................... 67 3.4 Comparison of Alternatives ............................................................................... 68 4 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................................... 72 4.1.1 Land Use and Acreage ................................................................................. 72 4.1.2 Agronomic Practices in Cotton Production ................................................. 73 4.2 Physical Environment ........................................................................................ 75 4.2.1 Water Resources .......................................................................................... 75 4.2.2 Soil Quality .................................................................................................. 77 4.2.3 Air Quality ................................................................................................... 78 4.2.4 Climate Change ............................................................................................ 78 4.3 Biological Resources .......................................................................................... 79 4.3.1 Animal Communities ................................................................................... 79 4.3.2 Plant Communities ....................................................................................... 81 4.3.3 Microorganisms ........................................................................................... 84 4.3.4 Biodiversity .................................................................................................. 85 4.4 Human Health .................................................................................................... 86 4.4.1 No Action Alternative: Worker Health and Safety ...................................... 86 4.4.2 No Action Alternative: Public Health .......................................................... 87 4.4.3 Preferred Alternative: Worker Safety .......................................................... 87 4.4.4 Preferred Alternative: Public Health ............................................................ 88 4.5 Animal Feed ....................................................................................................... 90 4.5.1 No Action Alternative: Animal Feed ........................................................... 90 4.5.2 Preferred Alternative: Animal Feed ............................................................. 90 4.6 Socioeconomics .................................................................................................. 91 4.6.1 Domestic Socioeconomic Environment ....................................................... 91 4.6.2 International Socioeconomic Environment.................................................. 94 5 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ..................................................................................... 96 5.1 Management Practices Considered in the Analysis of Cumulative Impacts ...... 97 5.2 Risk Assessments Used for the Analysis of Cumulative Impacts ...................... 97 5.2.1