Since the 1960s, staple foods in the United States have been sprayed with chlorpyrifos, a dangerous pesticide that can permanently damage the developing brain of children and poison farm workers. Photo credit: TP Martins / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

By Corporations vs. Democracy and Earth Democracy Issues Committees

Trump’s EPA has refused to finish putting into effect the ban on chlorpyrifos, a widely used, brain-harming pesticide that’s been linked to brain damage in children, including reductions in IQ, developmental delays, and increased risk of ADHD and autism. What can YOU do?  A lot! 

Dr. Philp Landrigan, a leading pediatric researcher, addressed Congress on this matter, saying that there “wasn’t a shadow of a doubt” that early life contact with this chemical – especially in the womb – is damaging children’s brains. 

Congress has stepped in to ban the pesticide with legislation introduced in both the House and the Senate. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) made clear in introducing his bill that if the EPA was doing its job congressional action would not be necessary. Administrator Pruitt decided in March to ignore the recommendations of his own EPA scientists and reverse the agency’s planned ban of chlorpyrifos. The only interests served by this reversal are those of the pesticide’s manufacturer, Dow Chemical. 

Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) co-sponsored the House version of the chlorpyrifos ban, saying “EPA Administrator Pruitt is showing his true colors by protecting big corporations at the expense of public health and safety. It’s unconscionable for EPA to turn a blind eye as children and farm workers are exposed to this poison.” 

Both bills would ban the use of chlorpyrifos and both should be supported.  Please thank Sen. Udall and Representative Velazquez for introducing the legislation, and then contact your own state Senators and Representatives to ask them to support the bills and ban chlorpyrifos. 

Even for those of us who live far from the fields, chlorpyrifos is being introduced on our vegetables and in our water supply and can cause neurodevelopmental harm. Time to get it out of our food system.