Tag:Pesticides
EPA Issued First Emergency Ban of Pesticide in 40 Years –But Why Has It Taken So Long?
On August 6, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) resurrected its emergency authority for the first time in more than 40 years to prohibit the use of a common herbicide, dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA, or Dacthal) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIRFA) because of the chemical’s danger to human health. The last time the EPA exercised this power was in 1979, when the EPA banned the chemical weed killer Agent Orange which was known to cause serious birth defects and used by the United States military in the Vietnam War. The EPA has since remained reluctant to classify any other herbicide chemical as an imminent risk to the public health, until last month.
Battle Over Pesticide Bans and the Rising Ethical Concerns in Shifting EPA Perspectives
The battle over pesticide use has long plagued the agricultural sector. The legal challenges to the use of chlorpyrifos has created a debate about how to protect our agricultural system and the harm caused by these dangerous chemicals. A lawsuit was filed based on the EPA’s failure to follow advice of their own scientists. The battle over the use of certain pesticides, and the shifting focus of the EPA has created concerns over the ethical standards of officials in key positions.