EPA Proposes Ending Use of Certain Pesticide on Foods, Citing Risk to Water
October 30 2015 - 8:39PM
Dow Jones News
By Josh Beckerman
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed ending the use
of a common pesticide, primarily produced by Dow Chemical Co., on
food, citing watershed risk.
Dow unit Dow AgroSciences said it disagrees with the EPA's
proposal and said the product, chlorpyrifos, has been thoroughly
tested for health, safety and environmental effects.
The EPA will seek public comment on the proposal, and expects a
final rule will be released in December 2016.
The product is sprayed on crops including soybeans, citrus
fruits, grapes and nuts.
The agency said "there do not appear to be risks from exposure
to chlorpyrifos in food." It said it has "determined that safe
levels of chlorpyrifos may be exceeded in parts of the United
States for people whose drinking water is derived from some small
vulnerable watersheds where chlorpyrifos is heavily used."
Dow AgroSciences "remains confident that all U.S. tolerance
issues relating to the continued use of chlorpyrifos can be readily
resolved with a more refined analysis."
Dow AgroSciences said "no other pesticide has been more
thoroughly tested," and said the EPA's projections of residues in
drinking water are based on "unrefined" mathematical modeling
"inconsistent with extensive real-world monitoring."
The Natural Resources Defense Council and other groups filed a
federal lawsuit seeking a national ban on chlorpyrifos. The
advocacy groups say the pesticide interferes with brain development
in children.
Dow noted that the EPA proposal isn't a final regulatory action
and said that as written, the proposal wouldn't affect the 2016
growing season.
In 2000, the EPA ended most household uses of the pesticide,
saying exposure could cause neurological effects in children.
--The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Write to Josh Beckerman at josh.beckerman@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 30, 2015 20:24 ET (00:24 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2015 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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