Buffer Zones Ordered to Protect Salmon

A federal judge Thursday ordered the government to establish temporary buffer zones for more than 50 common pesticides along salmon-bearing streams while it creates permanent environmental regulations.

The order, issued by U.S. District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle, came after the court ruled in 2002 in favor of environmentalists and fishing groups that sued the Environmental Protection Agency over its pesticide regulations.

Coughenour’s action was hailed as a major victory by environmentalists, who said the buffers would protect dwindling salmon numbers from pesticides while the government devised more thorough rules -- a process that could take years.

“There’s so few restrictions on agricultural activities to protect salmon, and it takes so long to get meaningful restrictions on pesticide use,” said Patti Goldman, an attorney for Earthjustice, a plaintiff in the case.

Heather Hansen, with Washington Friends of Farms and Families, did not return calls for comment Thursday. Officials from the American Crop Protection Assn. also did not return calls. In the original lawsuit, the groups alleged that the agency hadn’t evaluated the threat to 26 threatened and endangered salmon species posed by 54 pesticides used on everything from forests to suburban lawns.

As a result of the lawsuit, the EPA must consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service to determine permanent regulations for those pesticides. That process could result in a ban on some chemicals and severe restrictions on others, Goldman said.

The government will hold a public hearing Aug. 14 to solicit suggestions on the size of the temporary buffers. There’s no set date for when they will be established.