USDA FACES SUIT OVER RULE REQUIRING METHYL BROMIDE USE IN PACKAGING

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is being sued by four states and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) over a rule that requires international shippers to kill pests by fumigating raw wood packaging using either heat treatment or the ozone-depleting substance methyl bromide. The plaintiffs say the rule could increase the use of the pesticide, which is at odds with the United States' participation in an international treaty to phase it out. The suit, filed Sept. 15 in federal...