EPA Will Not Ban Chlorpyrifos

Earlier this week, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced that the EPA would not move forward with the ban on chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos is the chemical name for a common pesticide called Lorsban that has been on the market for a long time. Lorsban is a very effective pesticide in the organophosphate class. The EPA under the Obama administration was moving to ban chlorpyrifos after a couple of environmental groups sued the EPA claiming it too dangerous for children.

I did not know until I was reading about the controversy surrounding the EPA reversing course on the ban of chloropyrifos that it was used in homes. I assume that it was to kill cockroaches or some other insects in houses. It was banned for use in homes in 2001. Researchers found that children whose mothers were exposed to the pesticide before 2001 suggested a link between chloropyrifos and developmental issues compared to mothers that were not exposed.

I am not a highly educated person, but I do understand a little about scientific research. I, and I think most farmers, trust science and research. I am not at all surprised that a pesticide in the organophosphate class was harmful to children or anybody else when it was used in the home. But how will children be harmed when I have the co-op spray my bean field with Lorsban to kill soybean aphids? At least as long as I follow all the label directions and make sure children do not go into the bean field until it is safe, that is.

Before a pesticide can be approved, it must be shown to break down in a certain amount of time in the field. That means the label says when the pesticide has degraded to a point where it is safe to go into the field or to harvest the field. Now, I should point out maybe I am biased because I may need Lorsban to produce a good bean crop. Some years you have an outbreak of soybean aphids and Lorsban is one of the few pesticides that will control soybean aphids. So, I and many other farmers are relieved we still have Lorsban to use if we need it.