EPA denies petition to ban pesticide used on citrus fruits, apples, cherries and other crops

March 29, 2017 at 10:41 p.m. | Updated March 29, 2017 at 10:41 p.m.

by Associated Press

Smaller fruit trees are safer and easier to manage than the standard varieties. Choosing the right rootstock will result in miniature orchards, like these apple trees shown here. But even dwarf trees need to be pruned and trained to keep their fruit closer to the ground. (Dean Fosdick via AP)
Smaller fruit trees are safer and easier to manage than the standard varieties. Choosing the right rootstock will result in miniature orchards, like these apple trees shown here. But even dwarf trees need to be pruned and trained to keep their fruit closer to the ground. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency has rejected a bid by environmental groups to ban a common pesticide used on citrus fruits, apples, cherries and other crops.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on Wednesday denied a petition to ban the agricultural pesticide chlorpyrifos, reversing a proposal by the Obama administration to revoke all uses of the pesticide on food.

Environmental groups say the "unconscionable" decision ignores overwhelming evidence that even small amounts of chlorpyrifos can damage parts of the brain.

The pesticide, in use since 1965, has sickened dozens of farmworkers in recent years. Traces have been found in waterways, threatening fish, and regulators say overuse could make targeted insects immune to the pesticide.

U.S. farms use more than 5 million pounds of the chemical each year - about 25 percent of it in California.

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