The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today it will be revoking all tolerances of chlorpyrifos, effectively banning all food uses of the crop protection in the U.S. In April, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered EPA to revoke all agricultural uses of chlorpyrifos or retain only those uses it can find safe for workers and children.
Statement from Bill Freese, science director at the Center for Food Safety: "We welcome EPA's long overdue decision to cancel this neurotoxic crop protection. Since farm workers, pregnant people, and young children are especially vulnerable to harm from exposure to chlorpyrifos, cancellation of this dangerous product was the only choice."
Long-term studies have demonstrated conclusively that children exposed to chlorpyrifos in the womb suffer from higher rates of a broad range of developmental disorders, including reduced IQ and memory deficits, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A ban on the crop protection is widely supported by the medical science community.
Center for Food Safety