Activist Litigation Threatens Agricultural Productivity

CropLife America (CLA) is disappointed at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to revoke food residue tolerances for chlorpyrifos in response to a court-ordered deadline. In proposing this action, EPA has ignored the thousands of scientific studies that have examined and validated the product’s safe use and agricultural importance. Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely-tested products across the world and is an invaluable tool for growers on a diverse array of crops.

Following an unwarranted petition seeking these revocations, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court denied a request from EPA to extend its deadline to make a revocation decision to April 15, 2016. The court instead forced the Agency to respond by October 31, 2015, before EPA had an opportunity to complete its drinking water risk assessment.