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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 10 august 2018

Court orders ban on harmful pesticide, says EPA violated law

By MICHAEL BIESECKER detectable levels of the
Associated Press pesticide. Under pressure
WASHINGTON (AP) — A from federal regulators,
federal appeals court ruled Dow voluntarily withdrew
Thursday that the Trump ad- chlorpyrifos for use as a
ministration endangered home insecticide in 2000.
public health by keeping EPA also placed "no-spray"
a widely used pesticide buffer zones around sensi-
on the market despite ex- tive sites, such as schools,
tensive scientific evidence in 2012. In October 2015,
that even tiny levels of ex- the Obama administration
posure can harm babies' proposed banning the pes-
brains. ticide's use on food. A risk
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of assessment memo issued
Appeals in San Francisco by nine EPA scientists con-
ordered the Environmental cluded: "There is a breadth
Protection Agency to re- of information available on
move chlorpyrifos from sale the potential adverse neu-
in the United States within rodevelopmental effects
60 days. in infants and children as a
A coalition of farmwork- result of prenatal exposure
ers and environmental to chlorpyrifos."
groups sued last year after Federal law requires EPA to
then-EPA chief Scott Pruitt In this May 16, 2018 file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt appears ensure that pesticides used
reversed an Obama-era before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on budget on Capitol Hill in Washington. on food in the United States
effort to ban chlorpyrifos, Associated Press are safe for human con-
which is widely sprayed sumption — especially chil-
on citrus fruit, apples and Michael Abboud, spokes- veggies without fear it's AgroSciences. Dow did dren, who are typically far
other crops. The attorneys man for acting EPA Admin- harming their brains or poi- not respond to an email more sensitive to the nega-
general for several states istrator Andrew Wheeler, soning communities." seeking comment. In past tive effects of poisons.
joined the case against said the agency was re- The attorneys general of statements, the company Shortly after his appoint-
EPA, including California, viewing the decision. EPA California and New York has contended the chemi- ment by President Donald
New York and Massachu- could potentially appeal also claimed victory. cal helps American farm- Trump in 2017, Pruitt an-
setts. to the Supreme Court since "This is one more example ers feed the world "with full nounced he was revering
In a split decision, the court one member of the three- of how then-EPA Admin- respect for human health the Obama administration
said Thursday that Pruitt, a judge panel dissented from istrator Scott Pruitt skirted and the environment." effort to ban chlorpyrifos,
Republican forced to resign the majority ruling. the law and endangered Chlorpyrifos belongs to a adopting Dow's position
earlier this summer amid Environmental groups and the health of our children family of organophosphate that the science showing
ethics scandals, violated public health advocates — in this case, all because pesticides that are chemi- chlorpyrifos is harmful was
federal law by ignoring the celebrated the court's ac- he refused to curb pesti- cally similar to a chemical inconclusive and flawed.
conclusions of agency sci- tion as a major success. cide levels found in food," warfare agent developed The Associated Press report-
entists that chlorpyrifos is "Some things are too sa- Attorney General Xavier by Nazi Germany before ed in June 2017 that Pruitt
harmful. cred to play politics with, Becerra of California said in World War II. announced his agency's re-
"The panel held that there and our kids top the list," a statement. As a result of its wide use as versal on chlorpyrifos just 20
was no justification for the said Erik Olson, senior direc- Chlorpyrifos was created a pesticide over the past days after his official sched-
EPA's decision in its 2017 or- tor of health and food at by Dow Chemical Co. four decades, traces of ule showed a meeting with
der to maintain a tolerance the Natural Resources De- in the 1960s. It remains chlorpyrifos are commonly Dow CEO Andrew Liveris.
for chlorpyrifos in the face fense Council. "The court among the most widely found in sources of drink- At the time, Liveris headed
of scientific evidence that has made it clear that chil- used agricultural pesticides ing water. A 2012 study at a White House manufactur-
its residue on food causes dren's health must come in the United States, with the University of California ing working group, and his
neurodevelopmental dam- before powerful polluters. the chemical giant sell- at Berkeley found that 87 company had written a $1
age to children," Judge This is a victory for parents ing about 5 million pounds percent of umbilical-cord million check to help un-
Jed S. Rakoff wrote in the everywhere who want to domestically each year blood samples tested from derwrite Trump's inaugural
court's opinion. feed their kids fruits and through its subsidiary Dow newborn babies contained festivities.q