Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina also submitted an amendment to the 2012 Farm Bill on Thursday. The amendment would reduce the regulatory burden on producers and reaffirm the importance of the Federal Insecticide Rodenticide and Act in regulating pesticide applications – including those near and over bodies of water. The National Cotton Council is pleased with the submission of this amendment. NCC President and CEO Mark Lange says the requirement for producers to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for certain pesticide applications adds unnecessary and costly requirements for farms already in compliance with the FIFRA pesticide use restrictions. Lange says the Council strongly supports this amendment and looks forward to working with Hagan to make sure it’s adopted on the Senate floor.