EPA ban on chlorpyrifos devastating for Michigan farmers – Michigan Farm News
From www.michiganfarmnews.com
2021-08-24 19:32:42
Excerpt:
A surprise decision from the EPA to ban the use of chlorpyrifos on food is sending shockwaves through Michigan’s agricultural community and leaving growers concerned for their crops.
The EPA revoked all tolerances for the widely used pesticide last week, citing a decision to a Ninth Circuit’s Court of Appeals order directing the agency to issue a final rule in response to the 2007 petition filed by an anti-pesticide group.
The decision broke from the longstanding procedural safeguards provided by Congress and supported by science, denying farmers, retailers, and the public the opportunity to have their voices heard, according to Michigan Farm Bureau President Carl Bednarski, a Tuscola County crop producer.
Now, growers who depend on chlorpyrifos to help ensure their safe, nutritious crops grow reliably are being left with few — if any — options to keep insects from decimating their fruits and vegetables and row crops, despite sound science backing the safety of its use.
