Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) together with partners at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) have concluded the special registration review of the corn herbicide atrazine for the State of Minnesota.  This review determined that no modifications to atrazine regulation are required in Minnesota at this time.  Elements of atrazine registration and regulation may need revision if emerging science or EPA evaluations reach new conclusions about human health and environmental impacts of atrazine and its benefits to farmers.

• 11/18/2010 – Commissioner Determination memo (PDF: 64 KB/ 1 page)

Additional Registration Review Documents

• 1/19/2010 – Summary of the Special Registration Review of the Herbicide Atrazine in Minnesota (PDF: 97 KB / 13 pages)
• 1/19/2010 – Atrazine Technical Assessments (PDF: 843 KB / 92 pages)
• 1/19/2010 –  Atrazine Registration Review FAQs
• 9/8/2008 – Scoping an Interagency Review of Atrazine Use, Impacts, and Registration in Minnesota (PDF: 848 KB / 41 pages)

Groundwater and surface water monitoring for atrazine

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) monitors groundwater, rivers and springs for the presence of atrazine. The MDA also collects information about the amount of atrazine used by farmers throughout the state.

The Minnesota Department of Health is responsible for establishing state health risk guidelines for atrazine in private water supplies, and for ensuring atrazine testing in the public water supplies serving approximately 80% of Minnesotans. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is responsible for atrazine guidelines for rivers and streams. The MDA also provides information about testing private drinking water supplies for atrazine.

Additional Information and Links

The MDA publishes reports on pesticides in water resources and on pesticide use. These reports include information on a variety of pesticides, including atrazine. In addition, the MDA has prepared documents specific to atrazine.

• EPA’s Atrazine Update Webpage
• General Information on Pesticide Use and Use Practices in Minnesota
• Atrazine Summary Information for Minnesota (PDF: 239 KB / 10 pages)
• Interpretation of atrazine label application setback requirements for Minnesota (PDF: 270 KB / 2 pages)
• Voluntary Water Quality Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Agricultural Herbicides
• Herbicides Containing Acetochlor or Atrazine (PDF: 86 KB / 1 page)
• Atrazine in Minnesota Groundwater: A Summary Report, 2/2005 (PDF: 474 KB / 21 pages)
• 2006 Ground and Surface Water Quality Data Summary (PDF: 1.20 MB / 32 pages)
• 2007 Pesticide Usage on Four Major Minnesota Crops (PDF: 723 KB / 142 pages)
• 2005 EPA Testimony to the Minnesota House of Representatives (PDF: 102 KB / 18 pages)

For more information on atrazine regulation in the state of Minnesota, visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture online.