Court tells US EPA to decide to ban chlorpyrifos or not

A California appeals court ruled this week that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has until the end of this month to decide whether or not to ban pesticide chlorpyrifos which used widely with an estimated 10 million pounds applied annually but linked to a number of health problems.

While banned for more than a decade for household use, it’s still used commercially on corn, soybeans, fruit and nut trees and some golf courses. In 2012 the EPA required homes and schools to have buffers to reduce exposure.

The order is in response to a lawsuit filed in 2007 by the Pesticide Action Network and the Natural Resources Defense Council calling for the EPA to cancel registration for the pesticide.

While manufacturers such as Dow Agrosciences have maintained the safety and efficiency of chlorpyrifos, scientists have expressed concern over what it does to exposed people. Various studies have linked it to birth defects, low birth weights and impaired brain development, and endocrine disruption.

An EPA report earlier this year found that chlorpyrifos poses health risks to workers who mix and apply it and also can contaminate drinking water.

The EPA has until June 30 to respond to the lawsuit. If EPA intends to deny the administrative petition, “the final denial shall be issued no later than September 15, 2015,” according to the court order.