Methyl Bromide: H.R. 2230
Methyl Bromide is one of the few remaining economical and effective frumigants
available for soil application or for post harvest use. Often, no efficacious
alternative to Methyl Bromide exists. Without Methyl Bromide as a pre-plant soil
fumigant, production of numerous commodities would decline dramatically and prices
in these cases would of course rise.
The Clean Air Act would cause American farmers to face a complete ban on the use of
Methyl Bromide by January 1, 2001. However, by virtue of the Clean Air Act's
linkage to international agreements, other countries will not face a concurrent ban.
Currently, developing nations would not have to reduce their use of Methyl Bromide at
all until the year 2011. This would again place American farmers at a dramatic
disadvantage in the world marketplace.
Rep. Dan Miller (R-FL) has introduced H.R. 2230 which would permit growers to use Methyl
Bromide until some effective and economic alternatives become available. A Senate version
of H.R. 2230 is expected to be introduced shortly.
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