Groups Sue EPA to Ban Widely Used Pesticide

Posted July 26, 2010 in Uncategorized by Arthur Buono
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A lawsuit filed last week by two environmental groups seeks to force the EPA to ban a group of widely-used agricultural insecticides. The Natural Resources Defense Council and the Pesticide Action Network North America petitioned the EPA in 2007 to remove the insecticides from use. They claim the agency has dragged its feet on their three-year-old petition.

 
  • Environmental groups demand action on their EPA petition
  • Chlorpyrifos already banned for residential use
  • Industry fighting back on restrictions imposed in Pacific Northwest

 

Far-Reaching Effect of Endangered Species Act

The EPA recently restricted the use of the insecticides, called chlorpyrifos, in the Pacific Northwest. This action came after the National Marine Fisheries Service said the pesticide could threaten endangered salmon species. The environmental groups say chlorpyrifos present a health risk to farm workers, bystanders, consumers, and children.

The EPA banned this group of pesticides for consumer use in 2001. The group includes the branded products Dursban, Lorsban, and Scout. Chlorpyrifos continue to be one of the most widely used agricultural pesticides. They were introduced in 1965. Agricultural and chemical industry sources call the pesticides safe.

Many federal environmental laws directly or indirectly apply to farming and agriculture. These include the Clean Water Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, and the Endangered Species Act. The laws govern not just crop safety but also the effect farming activities have on the air and water, and worker health.

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