The Natural Resources Defense Council along with several other environmental groups want the EPA to reconsider its earlier decision and ban Chlorpyrifos also known as Lorsban. The group are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to step in and require the EPA to review its decision not to ban the insecticide. NRDC’s Senior Scientist for Health and the Environment Miriam Rotkin Ellman says science shows Chlorpyrifos is unsafe, especially for children.
She says 12 years ago, NRDC did an analysis of Chlorpyrifos and then prompted the EPA recently to do their own analysis of the insecticide.
Ellman says even when the insecticide is used properly, water is contaminated, drift occurs which causes the chemical to leave the field and it creates residue in the food supply.
Chlorpyrifos is the main ingredient in Lorsban which targets corn rootworm, soybean aphids and spider mites. Ellman says farmers need to find other ways to control those rather than using chemicals that can cause harm., especially to children.
