Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Policy

EPA denies petition to ban chlorpyrifos

Trump Administration reverses proposal to revoke all food tolerances for the insecticide

by Britt E. Erickson
March 30, 2017

 

[+]Enlarge
Credit: phana sitti/Shutterstock
Chlorpyrifos is sprayed on numerous crops, including cauliflower.
small heads of cauliflower with large broad leaves
Credit: phana sitti/Shutterstock
Chlorpyrifos is sprayed on numerous crops, including cauliflower.

The Trump EPA has denied a petition from environmental groups to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos. Under the Obama Administration, EPA proposed twice to revoke all food tolerances for the organophosphate insecticide. EPA previously said that exposure to chlorpyrifos from food and drinking water poses a human health risk, citing neurotoxicity concerns. Dow AgroSciences, which makes the pesticide, and farmers have been pushing hard to keep chlorpyrifos on the market. They claim that chlorpyrifos is safely used on dozens of crops in the U.S. and that there are no alternatives for many pests. The Trump Administration sided with pesticide and farm groups and reversed EPA’s earlier decision. Responding to the petition from environmental groups, EPA says that “the science addressing neurodevelopmental effects remains unresolved,” and further evaluation is warranted. EPA plans to continue evaluating the risks of chlorpyrifos over the next five years. The agency must complete its review of all chlorpyrifos uses by Oct. 1, 2022, as part of its routine review of pesticides. Groups that filed the petition are outraged by EPA’s about-face move. “EPA’s refusal to ban this dangerous pesticide is unconscionable,” says Patti Goldman, an attorney for one of the groups, Earthjustice. “EPA is defying its legal obligation to protect children from unsafe pesticides,” she says. The groups plan to go back to court to challenge EPA’s decision.

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.