WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency today announced it is taking several final steps required to officially ban any further agricultural uses of the neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifos, rejecting all industry attempts to halt the decision.
In a statement released today, the EPA said it is denying all objections, calls for hearings and requests to halt its August 2021 rule that revoked all uses of chlorpyrifos. The EPA has sent letters confirming its decision to companies that previously registered food uses of chlorpyrifos with the agency.
Chlorpyrifos was used for decades on crops, and the agriculture industry, including pesticide corporations, consistently downplayed a growing body of scientific studies showing it could cause neurological damage in young children. The industry attacked repeated calls by scientists and public health advocates for the EPA to ban the pesticide.
“In the case of chlorpyrifos, we’re talking about 56 years of false assurances since the chemical was approved for use in 1965, including decades during which mounting scientific evidence made clear that it was harming the brains of generations of American children,” said EWG President Ken Cook.
“Today the EPA has told the industry that it stands by its correct decision to ban uses of chlorpyrifos. Thankfully, as a result, current and future generations of children will no longer be exposed to this dangerous pesticide,” Cook said.
“Banning chlorpyrifos is a good first start, but it’s nowhere near the end. There are many other pesticides currently on the market with government approval that are manifestly unsafe and should be immediately banned or severely restricted,” Cook added.
In its August 2021 rule, the EPA announced it will ban all uses of chlorpyrifos on food, a move to protect public health that shows the risks of unsafe but widely used pesticides.
The agency’s action will make it illegal for any traces, commonly referred to as tolerances, of chlorpyrifos to be present on produce or foods. Even in small amounts, exposure to chlorpyrifos during pregnancy and early life harms the developing brain, including reduced IQ, delayed development of motor and sensory functions, and social and behavioral dysfunction.
In April 2021, a federal appeals court order directed the EPA to issue final regulations banning or limiting food uses of chlorpyrifos.
A chlorpyrifos ban was first proposed by the Obama administration in 2015, but the Trump EPA reversed course in 2017 and revoked the proposed ban. In December 2020, the Trump EPA then proposed allowing the substance’s continued use.
The Biden EPA then reversed course with its 2021 rulemaking to establish the ban. In the absence of federal action, several states have taken steps to ban or limit chlorpyrifos.
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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
