Michael Boucher
Michael Boucher is a partner at Steptoe LLP in Washington, D.C. and graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center.
He advises registrants, producers, and distributors about compliance with FIFRA and state law requirements for pesticides and pest control devices.
He counsels industry task forces about developing pesticide data under FIFRA and how to protect, license, and obtain compensation for use of the data.
He also represents pesticide companies in inspections, enforcement actions, product recalls, subpoenas and information requests, citizen suits and citizen petitions, and corporate transactions involving pesticide company assets.
And he serves as outside general counsel to HCPA.
Tuesday May 12
Antimicrobial Products Division Program
FIFRA Enforcement: E-Commerce, Trends, and Lessons LearnedÂ
Building on the foundation established at the HCPA Annual Meeting session, FIFRA Enforcement in Focus: Navigating Oversight in a Changing Regulatory Landscape, this session will take a deeper dive into the evolving enforcement environment for products regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). With continued scrutiny at U.S. borders, shifting regulatory priorities, and the rapid expansion of e-commerce, companies face a more complex compliance landscape than ever before.
The session will examine how enforcement authorities are adapting their strategies to address emerging risks across both traditional and online sales channels, and experts will draw on case studies involving e-commerce and other enforcement actions to offer practical, real-world compliance lessons.
Topics will include how to identify whether an enforcement action is legitimate; how enforcement scrutiny differs depending on whether a chemical enters commerce as a pesticide or a different substance; the role of AI tools in modern enforcement activities; and how states are operating under the cooperative agreement framework, especially as negotiations for Fiscal Year 2026 and beyond remain ongoing.
The session will also cover inter-regional enforcement coordination, including how states collaborate with the EPA and other states to achieve compliance, as well as the range of tools available to state enforcement programs.
Participants will leave with actionable insights for navigating this increasingly complex regulatory environment.
Speakers:
Michael Boucher, Partner, Steptoe
Dave Huber, Deputy Director, Division of Plant Industry at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets