Trump’s EPA refuses to ban pesticide harmful to children

Donald Trump’s EPA reversed course and gave the green light for the use of chlorpyrifos (also known as Lorsban), a dangerous pesticide that’s sprayed on all manner of crops—including almonds, apples, broccoli, strawberries, and citrus fruits. Based on mounting scientific evidence linking the insecticide to learning disabilities in children—and in response to an NRDC petition—the agency had previously proposed to limit its use on food. However, rather than err on the side of keeping kids safe, the EPA is now siding with the chemical lobby and agricultural industry. Contrary to the scientific conclusion of the agency’s own chemical-safety experts, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt called a ban on this widely used pesticide “unnecessary”—citing the “need to provide regulatory certainty” to farmers and the importance of “using sound science in decision-making.”