Page 6 - HOH

A28 SCIENCE
Friday 11 OctOber 2019
California bans pesticide linked to brain damage in children

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A agreed to budget $5.6 mil-
widely used agricultural lion to help pesticide man-
pesticide that California en- ufacturers develop a safer
vironmental officials have alternative to chlorpyrifos.
said has been linked to "But just so you're aware,
brain damage in children that's what agriculture
will be banned after next does every day, we're al-
year under an agreement ways looking for new prod-
reached with the manu- ucts, safer products that
facturer, state officials an- are effective," he said.
nounced Wednesday. When California an-
Under the deal, all Califor- nounced earlier this year it
nia sales of chlorpyrifos will was moving toward ban-
end on Feb. 6, 2020, and ning the pesticide, the
farmers will have until the state's environmental sec-
end of 2020 to exhaust their retary, Jared Blumenfeld,
supplies. said it was doing so be-
The pesticide is used on nu- cause the federal govern-
merous crops in the nation's ment was allowing it to re-
largest agriculture-produc- main on the market.
ing state — including alfal- "The swift end to the sale
fa, almonds, citrus, cotton, of chlorpyrifos protects vul-
grapes and walnuts. nerable communities by
State regulators have taking a harmful pesticide
said chlorpyrifos has been In this May 13, 2004, file photo, worker Roberto Rosiles picks fruit at a Sand Hills Farms orchard in off the market," Blumenfeld
linked to health defects in Arvin, Calif. said after Wednesday's an-
children, including brain Associated Press nouncement.
impairment, and to illnesses Blumenfeld said the agree-
in others with compromised after the deal was an- California." "We really thought the ex- ment reached with chlor-
immune systems. nounced. The president of the Cali- posure assessments and pyrifos' manufacturer, Cor-
"For years, environmental He added: "Thanks to their fornia Citrus Association, risks were just inflated and it teva Agriscience, "avoids
justice advocates have tenacity and the work of which represents about wasn't a true characteriza- a protracted legal process
fought to get the harmful countless others, this will 5,000 growers, said in an tion of the protections that while providing a clear
pesticide chlorpyrifos out now occur faster than origi- interview that he believes were already in place," timeline for California farm-
of our communities," Gov. nally envisioned. This is a the risks were not as great said Casey Creamer. ers as we look toward de-
Gavin Newsom, a Demo- big win for children, work- as the state made them Creamer added he appre- veloping alternative pest
crat, said in a statement ers and public health in out to be. ciated that officials have management practices."q

EPA proposes rewrite of rules on lead contamination in water

WASHINGTON (AP) — The brain, red blood cells and lead pipe that water sys-
Trump administration on kidneys. It is most often tems have to replace each
Thursday proposed a re- caused by lead service year once the threshold is
write of rules for dealing lines — pipes connecting a hit, cutting it from 7% to 3%.
with lead pipes contami- home to a water main — or That, according to Eric
nating drinking water, but lead fixtures in a home or Olson at the Natural Re-
critics say the changes ap- school. sources Defense Council
pear to give water systems At a news conference in conservation group, would
decades more time to re- Green Bay, Wisconsin, En- give water utilities about 20
place pipes leaching dan- vironmental Protection more years to fully replace
gerous amounts of toxic Agency Administrator An- all the lead pipes in a con-
lead. drew Wheeler announced taminated system.
Contrary to regulatory roll- changes that include re- Wheeler said a series of oth-
backs in many other en- quiring water systems to er, smaller changes in the
vironmental areas, the test lead levels in water new proposals are expect-
In this Nov. 8, 2018, file photo, a lead pipe, left, is seen in a hole administration has called at schools and child care ed to offset that. Overall, he
the kitchen ceiling in the home of Desmond Odom, in Newark, dealing with lead contami- facilities. Other changes argued, the rule changes, if
N.J. nation in drinking water a would require officials to the White House ultimately
Associated Press priority. Communities and identify the areas with the adopts them, would mean
families in Flint, Michigan, worst contamination and leaking old lead pipes are
Newark, New Jersey, and toughen procedures for "replaced at a much faster
elsewhere have had to sampling tap water. rate than ever before."
grapple with high levels of But Wheeler disappointed Betsy Southerland, a senior
lead in tap water and with conservation groups by EPA water official under
regulatory failures dealing declining to lower the level the Obama administration,
with the health threat. of lead contamination in said the new proposals fail
Lead in drinking water has drinking water systems that to boost the urgency of
been linked to develop- triggers mandatory remedi- the country's rules, issued in
mental delays in children ation. And another change 1991, for cleaning up lead
and can damage the would lower the amount of in water systems.q