EPA seeks to ban farm chemical

EPA wants to ban all uses of carbofuran, saying the farm insecticide poses "considerable risks" to food and drinking water and to birds that are exposed in treated fields. In a decision announced on Aug. 3, EPA is proposing to immediately cancel the use of carbofuran on alfalfa, corn, cotton, potatoes, and rice. A four-year phaseout is being proposed for six other minor agricultural uses, which the agency says would provide time to find effective alternatives. A final decision will be made after a 60-day comment period. FMC, which manufactures and sells carbofuran under the brand name Furadan, says it "disagrees strongly" with the conclusions reached by EPA and will defend the product to protect important agricultural uses as well as a significant number of manufacturing jobs in Maryland, New York, and Illinois. "EPA has exaggerated the risks of carbofuran and underestimated its unique benefits to agriculture in arriving at this unjustified conclusion to eliminate continued use of the product," says Michael Morelli, director of global regulatory affairs of FMC's agricultural products group. "We disagree with the evaluations behind the agency's decision and will continue our efforts to explain the science that supports our position during the comment period."