The Environmental Protection Agency announced on August 18 that it was banning use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide used on food crops, because of the risks it poses to children as well as to farm workers. The ban was enacted after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ordered the government, in April 2021, to determine whether the pesticide was safe or should be prohibited.
The EPA initiated the ban in 2007, reversed its decision in 2017 through 2019, and now reversed its reversed decision. (Read a prepublication version of the final rule: Chlorpyrifos; Tolerance Revocations.) Chlorpyrifos has been used on crops, including soybeans, fruit and nut trees, broccoli and cauliflower. According to reports, studies have linked it to potential brain damage in children and fetuses that could lead to reduced IQ, memory loss and attention deficit disorders.
“Today EPA is taking an overdue step to protect public health,” Administrator Michael Regan said. “After the delays and denials of the prior administration, EPA will follow the science and put health and safety first.”
