Syngenta and Bayer Petition 12-215-01p for Determination of Non-regulated Status of Herbicide Tolerant Event SYHT0H2 Soybean (Glycine max) OECD Unique Identifier: SYN-ØØØH2-5 Environmental Assessment March 2014 Table of Contents ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS………. ...................................................................... vii 1 PURPOSE AND NEED .....................................................................................................1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................1 1.2 Purpose of Product ......................................................................................................1 1.3 Coordinated Framework Review and Regulatory Review .........................................2 1.3.1 USDA-APHIS .................................................................................................3 1.3.2 Environmental Protection Agency ..................................................................3 1.3.3 Food and Drug Administration .......................................................................4 1.4 Purpose and Need for APHIS Action .........................................................................5 1.5 Public Involvement .....................................................................................................5 1.6 Public Comment Period for Petition 12-15-01p .........................................................7 1.7 Issues Considered .......................................................................................................7 2 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................9 2.1 Soybean Biology .........................................................................................................9 2.2 Agricultural Production of Soybean .........................................................................11 2.2.1 Current and Projected Acreage and Range of Soybean Production .............11 2.2.2 Agronomic Practices .....................................................................................13 2.2.3 Commercial Soybean Production and Uses ..................................................30 2.3 Physical Environment ...............................................................................................36 2.3.1 Soil ................................................................................................................36 2.3.2 Water Quality ................................................................................................39 2.3.3 Air Quality ....................................................................................................40 2.3.4 Climate ..........................................................................................................40 2.4 Biological Resources ................................................................................................41 2.4.1 Animal Communities ....................................................................................41 2.4.2 Plant Communities ........................................................................................42 2.4.3 Soil Microorganisms .....................................................................................46 2.4.4 Biodiversity ...................................................................................................47 2.4.5 Gene Movement in the Natural Environment ...............................................49 2.5 Public Health.............................................................................................................50 2.5.1 Human Health ...............................................................................................50 2.5.2 Worker Safety ...............................................................................................52 2.5.3 Animal (Livestock) Health ...........................................................................53 2.6 Socioeconomic Factors .............................................................................................54 2.6.1 Domestic Trade Environment .......................................................................54 2.6.2 Foreign Trade Environment ..........................................................................56 2.6.3 Social and Economic Environment ...............................................................58 – i – 3 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................61 3.1 No Action: Continuation as a Regulated Article ......................................................61 3.2 Preferred Alternative: Determination that SYHT0H2 Soybean is No Longer a Regulated Article ......................................................................................................61 3.2.1 Alternatives Considered, Not Included in Detailed Analysis .......................62 3.3 Comparison of Alternatives ......................................................................................64 4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .....................................................................68 4.1.1 Scope of the Environmental Analysis ...........................................................69 4.1.2 Assumptions ..................................................................................................70 4.2 Soybean Production ..................................................................................................71 4.2.1 Acreage and Areas of Soybean Production ..................................................71 4.2.2 Agronomic Practices .....................................................................................73 4.2.3 Commercial Soybean Production and Uses ..................................................82 4.3 Physical Environment ...............................................................................................85 4.3.1 Soil ................................................................................................................85 4.3.2 Water Quality and Use ..................................................................................87 4.3.3 Air Quality ....................................................................................................89 4.3.4 Climate ..........................................................................................................90 4.4 Natural Biological Communities (Non-Target Organisms)......................................91 4.4.1 Animals .........................................................................................................91 4.4.2 Plants .............................................................................................................92 4.4.3 Soil Microorganisms .....................................................................................94 4.4.4 Biodiversity ...................................................................................................95 4.4.5 Gene Movement in the Natural Environment ...............................................98 4.5 Public Health.............................................................................................................99 4.5.1 Human Health ...............................................................................................99 4.5.2 Worker Safety .............................................................................................102 4.5.3 Animal (Livestock) Health .........................................................................103 4.6 Socioeconomic Factors ...........................................................................................104 4.6.1 Domestic Trade Environment .....................................................................104 4.6.2 Foreign Trade Environment ........................................................................106 4.6.3 Social and Economic Environment .............................................................107 5 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ...........................................................................................109 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................109 5.2 Agronomic Practices ...............................................................................................110 5.3 Water Quality and Use ............................................................................................117 5.4 Soil ..........................................................................................................................117 5.5 Air Quality ..............................................................................................................118 5.6 Plants .......................................................................................................................118 5.7 Soil Microorganisms ...............................................................................................121 5.8 Biodiversity .............................................................................................................122 – ii – 5.9 Domestic Trade Environment .................................................................................122 6 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES .....................................................123 6.1 Potential Effects of SYHT0H2 Soybean on Threatened or Endangered Species ...125 6.1.1 Threatened and Endangered Plant Species and Critical Habitat .................125