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Public health experts and labor advocates celebrated Wednesday after the Biden administration announce It would “stop the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on all foods to better protect human health, especially the health of children and farm workers,” after decades of demands for government intervention raised by safety concerns.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final rule on chlorpyrifos a few days ago court order The deadline stems from legal action by advocacy groups that have long sought a ban on pesticides, which are linked to permanent brain damage in children.
“We welcome the EPA’s long-awaited decision to repeal neurotoxic insecticides,” She said Bill Freese, director of science at the Center for Food Safety, said in a statement. “Because farm workers, pregnant women, and young children are especially vulnerable to chlorpyrifos exposure, eliminating this hazardous product was the only option.”
Kristen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pesticide Action Network She said That the agency “issued a plan consistent with what scientists have known for decades: chlorpyrifos is too dangerous to use, and its continued use has put children, farm workers and rural communities at risk.”
Teresa Romero, also president of the Farm Workers Union welcome news.
“Today we celebrate this great victory alongside the men and women who harvest our food, and who have waited so long for a ban on this pesticide,” Romero said. “We are relieved that farm workers and their families will no longer have to worry about the myriad of ways this pesticide could affect their lives.”
Although concerns about harm to children led the Environmental Protection Agency to end home use of chlorpyrifos two decades ago, according to a recent report by the law firm Earth Justice. show upPesticides and other organophosphates are still widely used on crops throughout the United States.
as New York times Reports:
In an unusual move, the new chlorpyrifos policy will not go through the standard regulatory process, under which the EPA first publishes a draft rule, then takes public comment before publishing a final rule. Instead, in compliance with the court order, which noted that the science linking chlorpyrifos to brain damage is more than a decade old, the rule will be published in its final form, without a draft or public comment period.
Michael Friedhoff, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, told times That court’s “extremely unusual” directive “speaks of the impatience and frustration that courts, environmental groups and farm workers have toward the agency.”
“The court basically said: Enough, enough,” Friedhof said. “Either you tell us it’s safe, and offer your business, and if you can’t, cancel all the forbearance.”
Science has reigned (finally)! That’s a big win for kids, farm workers and the rest of us…# chlorpyrifos https://t.co/B4Gr61HLme
Union of Concerned Scientists (UCSUSA) August 18, 2021
In a statement, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Reagan said a favour Frustration with agency inactionEspecially Under former President Donald Trump – until the issuance of the new rule.
“Today the Environmental Protection Agency is taking a long-overdue step to protect public health. Ending the use of chlorpyrifos on food will help ensure that children, farm workers, and all people are protected from the potentially dangerous consequences of this pesticide.” After delays and rejections from the previous administration, the EPA will follow the flag It puts health and safety first.”
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The agency’s statement acknowledged that the rule is in line with the actions of other policymakers, noting that “a number of other countries, including the European Union and Canada, and some states including California, Hawaii, New York, Maryland and Oregon have taken similar measures to restrict the use of this pesticide on food.”
Finally, children will be protected from this toxic and dangerous pesticide in their food. This is a victory of science and law over politics and the influence of the chemical industry.
The Natural Resources Defense Council has been fighting for this for a quarter of a century, and it’s a public health win. https://t.co/EZ6SODh4lj
– NRDC 🌎🏡 (NRDC) August 18, 2021
While advocates praised the EPA rule, they also emphasized decades of delays.
“We are relieved that the Environmental Protection Agency has finally put an end to the use of chlorpyrifos. Years of decline have put the health of countless children and farm workers at risk by negligently and willfully ignoring the terrible pesticide damage,” She said Ann Katten, Pesticide and Work Safety Project Manager at CRLA. “Finally, our fields are safer for farm workers, and our fruits and vegetables are safer for our children.”
Advocates of banning chlorpyrifos have also urged the EPA to take action on additional uses of this pesticide in addition to the harmful organophosphate pesticides.
Under President Joe Biden, the agency “finally reversed one of the many appalling actions of the Trump administration that prioritized the profits of the pesticide industry over our health and our environment.” She said Jason Davidson, Senior Food and Agriculture activist with Friends of the Earth. “But the EPA must now finish the job and follow sound science by banning all uses of chlorpyrifos.”
Chlorpyrifos has finally been banned from food crops! Congratulations to all who fought hard for this win.
But the fighting continues. The EPA still allows it on golf courses, grass, utility poles, fences, and roach and ant bait. So let’s raise a toast and get back to work! https://t.co/n2BWg5H8PZ– LoriAnnBurd (@LoriAnnBurd) August 18, 2021
Patti Goldman, the attorney general who was leading the chlorpyrifos case, announce That “it took a very long time, but children will no longer eat food contaminated with a pesticide that causes mental learning disabilities.”
“Chlorpyrifos is finally going to come out of our fruits and vegetables,” she said. “But chlorpyrifos is just one of dozens of organophosphate insecticides on our fields that can harm children’s growth. The EPA should ban all organophosphates from food.”
Source: Shared dreams
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