Under the Endangered Species Act, who is responsible for ensuring pesticide applications do not affect endangered species?

• A. The applicator must check with the EPA
• B. The pesticide manufacturer
• C. The landowner
• D. The local government

Answer: (A)

The responsibility lies with the person applying the pesticide, because the protections for endangered species are built into the pesticide label and the labeling is approved by the EPA. The applicator must follow those label restrictions and any EPA guidance to ensure a given application won’t harm listed species. If there’s any doubt, the correct step is to verify requirements with the EPA or the label before proceeding. The manufacturer provides the product and its label, but on-site compliance rests with the applicator. Landowners and local governments don’t carry the field-level obligation in practice.