California paraquat ban moves forward
By Carey Gillam
California has moved a step closer to banning the controversial weed killing chemical paraquat after a key state legislative committee on Thursday allowed the measure to proceed.
EPA
New hope for long-polluted communities, but skepticism of Superfund success remains
By Barbara Reina and Carey Gillam
Jackie Medcalf was a teenager when she moved with her family to a small farm near the San Jacinto River in Harris County, Texas. It felt like a good life, playing in the river and “eating off the land,” as Medcalf describes it.
Corrupt politics, not science, power the US EPA
By Evaggelos Vallianatos
When I started my job in the Office of Pesticide Programs at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1979, many things quickly surprised and disappointed me – a pattern that persisted through my 25-year career there.
Bayer asks EPA to again approve twice-banned weed killer
After multiple court-ordered bans, Bayer AG is once again asking the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve the controversial weed killer dicamba for use on genetically modified crops, the EPA announced this week.
EPA action on nerve agent used in food applauded, but concerns persist
By Carey Gillam
A proposal by US regulators to issue a ban on most uses of a pesticide that acts as a nerve agent was applauded by health advocates this week, though some warned the proposal doesn’t go far enough.
Despite ban, EPA grants ’emergency’ approval for bee-killing insecticide for 10th straight year
By Johnathan Hettinger
US regulators have approved the emergency use of clothianidin on Florida citrus trees for the tenth straight year, once again allowing farmers to use the insecticide despite its known risk to endangered species and pollinators critical to the health of the food supply.
US health advocacy groups support Mexico in GMO trade dispute
By Johnathan Hettinger
More than a dozen North American organizations have weighed in to support Mexico in its trade dispute with the United States over Mexico’s ban of genetically modified (GM) corn, agreeing that the nation has the right to protect human health from food ingredients it considers hazardous.
Not just Mexico – US worries over barriers to agricultural trade across the world
By Johnathan Hettinger
From Algeria to Vietnam, Norway to Nigeria, and the European Union to China, regulation of agriculture biotechnology by countries around the world is creating increasingly concerning barriers to US agriculture and technology trade, according to a recent report from the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).
Healthy or high risk? New analysis warns of pesticide residues on some fruits and veggies
By Carey Gillam
Several types of fruits and vegetables generally considered to be healthy can contain levels of pesticide residues potentially unsafe for consumption, according to an analysis conducted by Consumer Reports (CR) released on Thursday.
EPA called to address “long-ignored health crisis” in Iowa drinking water
By Carey Gillam
US regulators must take immediate action to address a “long-ignored health crisis” stemming from dangerously contaminated drinking water in Iowa, according to a legal petition filed by environmental and health advocacy groups this week.