EPA Won’t Ban Pesticide Already Banned In Hawaii
Chlorpyrifos has been linked to health problems for children.
Media outlets including The New York Times are reporting Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency will not ban a widely used pesticide “associated with developmental disabilities and other health problems in children.”
, “The decision not to prohibit the use of the pesticide, chlorpyrifos, comes after years of legal wrangling. It represents a victory for the chemical industry and farmers who have lobbied to continue using the substance, arguing it is necessary to protect crops.”
Hawaii is reported to have been the first state to ban chlorpyrifos, which is sprayed on fruits and other crops.
Gov. David Ige signed the bill in June 2018 and it became law the following January.
“The state may issue exemptions for three years to allow agriculture businesses time to adjust,” according to a report from The Associated Press at the time.
Food safety groups are upset by the EPA’s decision.
鈥淲ith this unconscionable decision, the Trump administration has betrayed America鈥檚 children, using all the means at its disposal to ensure that kids will continue to suffer from entirely avoidable learning disabilities caused by this neurotoxic chemical,鈥 said Bill Freese, science policy analyst at Center for Food Safety, in a press release Thursday.
