Study Reveals Pesticides Banned in Other Countries Still Approved in the U.S.
A study conducted by Nathan Donley, a Senior Scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, revealed that numerous pesticides already banned or currently being phased out in Brazil, China and in EU countries, are still approved for use in the U.S.
Donley’s study which was published by the Environmental Health journal, shows that the US Environmental Protective Agency’s (EPA’s) reliance on voluntary cancellation by the pesticide industry is no longer effective as far as regulations of pesticides are concerned.
Donley’s findings provide evidence that if the EPA continues pesticide regulation by relying on the voluntary mechanism, the U.S. will likewise continue to allow the widespread agricultural use of more and more harmful pesticides already banned by its peer countries.
The Senior Scientist, identified the pesticides only through their number labels; citing Numbers 11, 17 and 72 as pesticides still enjoying US approval, notwithstanding that the substances are already prohibited for use, or in the process of being banned in EU countries,and in China as well as in Brazil. Additionally, pesticides number 85 and 13, plus two others as being in the process of securing approval despite the fact that the substances have already been phased in at least oe or two of the aforementioned agricultural countries.
Study Identifies the Pesticides Already Banned by Other Countries
Donley further claims that of the 1.2 billion pounds of chemical formulations used for pest control in the U.S., an estimated 322 million pounds of the substances have already been banned in EU; 40 million pounds are banned pesticides in China while approximately 26 billion pounds have already been prohibited for use in Brazil.
Moreover, Donley noted that out of the 134 active ingredients used for pesticides, 97 were submitted for voluntary cancellation by the U.S. pesticide industry. Apparently, the EPA became reliant on the submission for voluntary cancellation. So much so that the U.S. is now lagging behind in the prohibition of harmful substances used in controlling pests in U.S. farms.
The observation is demonstrated through the number of pesticides initiated for cancellation by the EPA, which decreased significantly over the years. Whereas, the number of voluntary cancellations submitted by the pesticide industry, rose.
Donley’s findings suggest that the US EPA relies mainly on the voluntary cancellations initiated by the pesticide industry as a method of prohibiting pesticides.
