Groups sue EPA for not banning pesticide

Two groups have sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its decision not to ban a pesticide linked to nervous system and brain disorders. The Pesticide Action Network and the Natural Resource Defense Council on Wednesday asked a federal court to force the EPA to take action on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide used to kill insects on pests on crops, including some meant for human consumption. Most household uses of the chemical were phased out in 2001. The EPA, under former President Barack Obama, proposed banning its use, a decision that raised objections from farmers and companies such as Dow Chemical. But the EPA on Thursday said it would not ban chlorpyrifos. The NRDC and Pesticide Action Network have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to force the agency to do so. “President Trump and his EPA flouted court orders and EPA’s scientific findings that chlorpyrifos puts children, farmworkers, their families and many others at risk,” Patti Goldman, the Earthjustice managing attorney handling the case, said in a statement...more