State bans pesticide

The California Environmental Protection Agency banned the pesticide chlorpyrifos last Wednesday (May 8), despite federal insistence that the chemical is safe.

As reported in the CN&R May 2 (see “Toxic bite,” Healthlines), scientific studies link chlorpyrifos to developmental problems in children exposed prenatally. The pesticide primarily is used on crops but also in nonagricultural settings such as golf courses. The U.S. EPA rejected a 2017 proposal for a ban, and the Trump administration has defended chlorpyrifos use in court.

CalEPA said implementation could take two years, which will include a transition to “safer, more sustainable alternatives.”