EPA Protects Endangered Frog

The endangered California red-legged frog will be protected from 66 pesticides commonly used by farmers as part of a settlement between EPA and a wildlife conservation group. The Oct. 19 agreement, which was approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, prohibits use of the pesticides in and adjacent to core habitats of the red-legged frog throughout California until EPA completes a study with the Fish & Wildlife Service to ensure the chemicals are not jeopardizing or contributing to the decline of the species. "This agreement will keep toxic chemicals out of essential habitats for the vanishing red-legged frog," says Peter Galvin, director of the Center for Biological Diversity. Pesticide industry representatives agree that pesticide-application buffer zones are reasonable and effective protection for the frogs until the effects of the chemicals can be assessed. However, CropLife America, the pesticide manufacturers' trade association, says there is no proof that any of the chemicals in question have ever harmed California's shrinking population of red-legged frogs. The species was listed as threatened in 1996 under the Endangered Species Act. In another action, EPA says it has canceled several uses of the pesticide dichlorvos in greenhouses, warehouses, and some pest strips. EPA has been conducting a broad safety review of dichlorvos and other organophosphate chemicals.