EPA Finally Forced to Ban Foods with Neuro-Toxic Chlorpyrifos
It took a lawsuit from Earthjustice.org to get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do its job. In April 2021 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the EPA to ban all food uses of the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. An organophosphate, this chemical is scientifically linked to attention deficit disorders, autism spectrum disorders, hand tremors, as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders and symptoms in children.
Chlorpyrifos was banned for household use in 2001, but is still used widely to grow strawberries, apples, citrus, broccoli, corn, and other fruits and vegetables—putting farmworkers and rural communities most at risk for exposure but also affecting children’s long-term health through exposures in food and drinking water.
The EPA was given 60 days to revoke all food uses of chlorpyrifos and retain only those that are found to have no effects on people’s health.
“This ruling is a huge victory for children and communities across the country who will finally be spared by needless poisonings and lifelong learning disabilities,” said Earthjustice in a statement.
Earth Justice filed a lawsuit against the EPA after the agency refused to ban chlorpyrifos in 2019 and in 2016 under the Trump administration. The Obama administration had been working to ban the pesticide before former president Donald Trump took office.
EPA called out for “egregious delay” in ban
The court condemned the EPA’s “egregious delay” in banning the agricultural use of the chemical and accused the agency of exposing “a generation of American children to unsafe levels of chlorpyrifos.” Earthjustice called on the EPA to put the ban into effect immediately.
“The court got it right: EPA’s time is now up,” said Patti Goldman, managing attorney at Earthjustice. “EPA must now follow the law, ban chlorpyrifos, and protect children and farmworkers from a pesticide we know is linked to numerous developmental harms. It would be unconscionable for EPA to expose children to this pesticide for any longer.”
“Today the court has affirmed what scientists have known for decades: chlorpyrifos is much too dangerous to be using, and EPA’s lack of action has put children, farmworkers and rural communities at risk,” Kristin Schafer, executive director at Pesticide Action Network (PAN), said. “Sadly, it takes legal action to force our public agencies to do their job.”
Earthjustice noted that chlorpyrifos is just one of dozens of organophosphates used on produce at farms across the country. “While we celebrate this win today, EPA must also ban all organophosphates to fully protect public health,” said Goldman.
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