PSR, San Francisco PSR Help Ban Neurotoxic Pesticide! August 13, 2018

PSR National office and the San Francisco chapter are proud to have helped win a victory for public health and for science-based decision-making: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s refusal to ban agricultural uses of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos.

PSR is among the contributors of an amicus brief on the case.

The brief reviews the extensive scientific evidence indicating that the fetus is vulnerable to long-lasting neurological harm from exposure to chlorpyrifos, even at levels far below the current tolerances permitted by EPA.

Studies show that chlorpyrifos can alter the very structure of the brain, as well as leading to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other behavioral problems.

The pesticide, which had earlier been banned for household use, is widely used in agriculture, potentially exposing agricultural workers and their unborn children to this dangerous substance.

The court ordered the agency to ban the pesticide within 60 days.