Is banning pesticides in the public’s best interest?
The answer is an emphatic yes when the science indicates that exposures are not safe. But does good science always get used in making decisions? Fortunately the answer is nearly always yes, with some exceptions. For example, EPA recently banned all uses of the pesticide Dursban (also know as chlorpyrifos). This was despite the fact EPA scientists determined levels of Dursban were safe on many crops when used according to its directions, even for sensitive humans and children.
This ban prompted a lawsuit by a number of food producers for soybeans, sugarbeets and cherries asking the EPA to follow the findings of its own scientists.
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But why would EPA ban all uses of Dursban when its own scientists said many of its uses were safe? The answer, as are many, is complex. But one reason is not the lack of qualified staff. EPA has highly credentialed staff, more so than many other organizations.
One of the reasons might have to do with environmental activists who want to ban all pesticides that cause toxicity to the nervous system of insects, and also in humans that get exposed from improper use.
