EPA faces lawsuit from four states & DC for keeping hazardous pesticide on market

‘A coalition of states have jumped aboard a lawsuit against Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt for not banning a purportedly dangerous chemical that can affect the development of a child’s brain.
Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia filed a motion Wednesday against EPA chief Scott Pruitt, in a suit which claims he broke the law by ending efforts to ban the chemical, chlorpyrifos.
The pesticide is sold by Dow Chemical through its subsidiary, Dow AgroSciences, and is sprayed onto food.
Neurodevelopmental problems are cited as a main issue with chlorpyrifos. The EPA made the decision not to outlaw the pesticide, which is sprayed on apples, citrus fruits and cherries among others. On Thursday, the EPA said it was reviewing the lawsuit, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco will hear the case. Federal law states that the US Food and Drug Administration must ensure that pesticides used on food are safe for humans consumption.’
Read more: EPA faces lawsuit from four states & DC for keeping hazardous pesticide on market