The regime continues on its dangerous odyssey of dismantling environmental regulations that protect public health. Chlorpyrifos, a pesticide, was found by EPA scientists to damage children's brains. The decision to allow agricultural use is one of a series of pro-industrial decisions allowing the use of dangerous chemical substances. Most industrialized nations completely ban the use of asbestos, a known carcinogen, but the regime issued a rule last April to allow limited use of the red-flagged mineral. Last week the compromised agency approved broad use of the pesticide sulfoxaflor, that is harmful to bees. Industry spokespersons expressed satisfaction with the new pesticide ruling.
The agency has also acted to weaken existing regulations allowing surprise inspections of chemical plants and human health studies such as the one that detected the harm chlorpyrifos inflicts on children's neurological development. CropLife America, the main pesticide trade group, petitioned the agency
to “halt regulatory decisions that are highly influenced and/or
determined by the results of epidemiological studies”, unless
universities were forced to share more of their data. The effects of pesticides on farm workers' children is being studied by the University of California, Berkeley, and is funded in part by the EPA. The lobbyists labeled the study, "secret science".
Chlorpyrifos, aka Lorsban, is used on 50 fruit and vegetable crops. In 2016 more than 640,000 acres in California were treated with the substance. Hawaii has banned its use, and the EU is under pressure from environmentalists and consumers to do so. EPA said in its ruling that data of harmful effects was not “not sufficiently valid, complete or reliable.” Tell that to the Berkeley scientists.