The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced it's cracking down on the usage of one insecticide, which will help protect federally endangered wildlife and their habitats.
Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide commonly used to control foliage and soil insects. It's currently registered for use on food crops as well as in non-food applications to things like ornamental plants and golf course turf.
The EPA's newly announced measures include product labels with restrictions on where these pesticides can be applied, as well as Endangered Species Protection Bulletins that set geographic limitations on pesticide use.
"They'll require things like not applying chlorpyrifos products within 25 feet of watersheds and making sure farmers are mindful of how those products are being applied so certain species won't be impacted," Kyle Kunkler of the American Soybean Association told Brownfield Ag News. "Ultimately, we think these are the types of mitigations that would be appropriate."
However, chlorpyrifos isn't just harmful to animals. According to Earthjustice, there are no safe uses for this pesticide when it comes to our food. The organization explains that the use of chlorpyrifos on crops like apples and wheat could lead to permanent brain damage in children, including reduced IQ, loss of working memory, and attention deficit disorders.
"It's simple: This stuff is just too dangerous to allow it anywhere near the food we eat," PIRG said of the pesticide.
In August 2021, the EPA revoked all tolerances for chlorpyrifos, which essentially halted the use of this insecticide on all food and animal feed. However, this was reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in November 2023. The agency says it will soon issue a new rule that would once again disallow chlorpyrifos on food, with the exception of 11 food and feed crop uses that were identified in the 2020 Proposed Interim Decision.
The EPA also recently announced it is cracking down on pesticide spray drift by analyzing the effects of it earlier in their review process. Normally, the agency does this work after a product has already been approved for use, and this can take years.
Meanwhile, chlorpyrifos isn't the only pesticide that wildlife conservationists are worried about. For instance, the Center for Biological Diversity recently announced a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for allowing continued use of malathion. The group says this pesticide endangers more than 1,500 species and is in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
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Amid the dangers of many pesticides, a growing number of farmers are going chemical-free. For instance, Wisconsin-based food cooperative Organic Valley recently announced plans to welcome 100 more small organic farms to its family by the end of 2024. You can help protect yourself from pesticides by growing your own food organically or buying organic, pesticide-free products.
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