EPA bans pesticide linked to health problems in children

ASSOCIATED PRESS • August 18, 2021

The Biden administration said Wednesday it was banning use of chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide long targeted by environmentalists because it poses risks to children and farm workers. The Environmental Protection Agency acted after a federal appeals court ordered the government in April to quickly determine whether the pesticide is safe or should be prohibited. During the Obama administration, the EPA had initiated a ban, but the agency reversed that decision shortly after President Donald Trump took office in 2017.