Oregon Public Broadcasting

Federal agencies agreed Wednesday to tighten regulations of some chemicals in the Northwest.

After years of litigation from anti-pesticide advocates, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Marine Fisheries’ Service will begin studying the effects of 37 pesticides on threatened salmon and steelhead.

Once they've done that, they’re required to take action to limit the threats from the chemicals.

Aimee Code is with the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. She says the long court battle will result in healthier salmon and people.

Aimee Code: “When we first started looking at the pesticide problem in this area, and its impact on salmon, we realized how vast the pollution of our water is. And many of the same rivers that are salmon rivers, are also drinking water sources.” 

Environmentalists say that farmers should be happy with the settlement, because it provides some certainty.

The feds’ initial measurement may have a headstart, thanks to a new report out this week from the state of Oregon.

The first-ever summary from the Pesticide Use Reporting System found that of the 40-million pounds of pesticides used in Oregon – more than half was applied in the salmon-bearing Middle Columbia basin.