In a move that will put almost anyone who comes into contact with many common foods at risk, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has refused to ban the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos.
Based on many scientific studies, the EPA determined that even very low levels of exposure to chlorpyrifos—a pesticide used on staple foods like corn, wheat, apples and citrus—can cause irreparable harm and damage children’s developing brains.
But Pruitt refuses to ban this dangerous chemical from our food, a decision that neglects the agency’s own science and puts millions at risk.
Chlorpyrifos contaminates our food and water, and agricultural workers and families in rural communities are at the front lines of exposure to this neurotoxic chemical. Exposing children to chlorpyrifos results in reduced IQ, loss of working memory and attention deficit disorders. Workers poisoned by chlorpyrifos experience vomiting, muscle cramps and twitching, tremors and weakness. This neurotoxic pesticide was banned for residential use nearly two decades ago, so why would the EPA continue to allow it to be used on farms, where it can poison everything it touches?
Earthjustice will hold the EPA accountable. We’re back in court asking for an order directing the EPA to put a full ban in place. Join us in urging the government to keep this toxic pesticide out of our food, our water, our schools and yards, and our bodies.
