As of yesterday, the IL Dept of Ag has received a total of 517 pesticide misuse cases in 2018.   Of the 517, 469 are agriculture related:  dicamba complaints make up 328 of the 469 ag related cases.  There are 48 cases attributed to lawncare.  

 

The number of complaints officially filed with IDA vastly exceeds any other year on record, going back to the beginning of the misuse reporting system.  In an average year, IDA fields 110-130 misuse reports, and that includes pesticide use in both lawn care and agriculture.  The leadership at IFCA is dedicated to working with all stakeholders in the industry and with policy and regulatory bodies to find a workable framework for going forward, and we again thank our members for your honest feedback and suggestions.  We keep hearing that USEPA will be coming out with the new dicamba label changes sometime in September. 

 

We are also beginning to hear from our members who have received warning letters this year from IDA regarding dicamba misuse.  If you receive a warning letter and you do not feel it is justified, and can present additional information to the IDA that they may not have had at the time of the investigation to help your argument, there is a simple process to do this.  You need only to send a letter to IDA within 30 days of receiving the warning letter and provide the additional information in the letter for their consideration.  There have been times when this process has resulted in a rescinding of the warning letter.   IFCA is happy to review your case and help you determine if this process may be beneficial for you.  Please call our office any time for assistance.