The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to reapprove dicamba, a drift-prone herbicide used on genetically modified soybean and cotton crops, despite significant ongoing concerns from growers about its spillover effects, according to The Washington Post on January 30, 2026. This decision comes even after federal courts have twice vacated previous approvals for the controversial chemical.
Critics argue this reapproval directly contradicts the EPA's stated goals under its "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) initiative, which aims to protect human health and the environment. Environmental advocates, including Nathan Donley of the Center for Biological Diversity, have labeled this move as "MAHA-washing," suggesting a disconnect between policy and practice.
Dicamba is notorious for its tendency to drift from target fields, causing widespread damage to neighboring non-dicamba-tolerant crops, fruit trees, and other sensitive vegetation. Lawsuits have highlighted the devastating impact, with one Missouri peach farmer receiving a $265 million verdict in 2020 due to dicamba drift, as reported by BRE Law.
Federal courts have consistently challenged the EPA's handling of dicamba. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit vacated approvals in 2020, and a federal judge in Arizona ruled in February 2024 that the EPA improperly reapproved the herbicide without proper public notice and comment, according to ehn.
Despite this legal history and widespread opposition, the EPA, in a draft statement obtained by The Washington Post, characterizes its new guidelines as "the most protective dicamba registration in agency history". The agency claims to have incorporated several measures to mitigate ecological risks, as detailed in an EPA proposed decision from July 2025.
Beyond agricultural losses, dicamba has been linked to potential human health risks. A recent study noted by Weitz & Luxenberg associated the herbicide with an increased risk of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers. Environmental groups also warn of broader ecological harm to wildlife and pollinators.
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The widespread use of dicamba on genetically engineered crops began around 2016 to combat weeds resistant to glyphosate, significantly increasing its application and subsequent drift issues, according to Super Lawyers.
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Dicamba drift has caused extensive damage to millions of acres of non-dicamba-tolerant crops, including soybeans, peaches, and specialty crops across numerous states, with an EPA official estimating actual impact could be five times higher than reported cases, Super Lawyers reported.
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Federal courts have repeatedly found EPA's dicamba approvals flawed, with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals vacating 2018 approvals in 2020 and a federal judge in Arizona ruling in February 2024 that the EPA failed to allow proper public notice and comment for its reapproval, as reported by ehn.
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Critics argue that the reapproval undermines the EPA's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, which aims to protect public health and the environment, with Nathan Donley of the Center for Biological Diversity describing this as "MAHA-washing," according to Beyond Pesticides.
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The EPA's proposed registration includes new mitigation measures such as a maximum single application rate, a limit of two annual applications, prohibition of aerial spraying, and a 240-foot downwind buffer zone, as detailed in an EPA proposed decision from July 2025.
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Beyond crop damage, dicamba drift threatens wild plants, pollinators, and wildlife by degrading food sources and habitats, the National Wildlife Federation reported in 2020. Weitz & Luxenberg also noted a recent study associating dicamba with an increased risk of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers in humans.
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Reports from the Union of Concerned Scientists indicate that senior EPA leadership interfered with scientific studies on dicamba's risks in 2018, omitting key evidence and bypassing routine procedures, raising concerns about regulatory integrity and industry influence.
