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EPA ends use of toxic pesticide endosulfan

Health & Safety - Pesticide Safety

On Tuesday, June 8th the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that endosulfan, a highly toxic chemical that is part of the same family of chemicals as DDT, cannot be used safely, and announced that it was terminating all uses of the chemical in the US. Like other organochlorine pesticides, endosulfan is persistent in the environment and poisons humans and wildlife both in agricultural areas and in regions far from where it was applied.

Farmworker Justice has collaborated with other organizations to demand EPA’s ban of this toxic pesticide.  In July 2008, Farmworker Justice and Earthjustice sued EPA demanding that the Agency ban the use of endosulfan.  This lawsuit was recently dismissed due to jurisdictional reasons. Plantiffs for this case were Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Beyond Pesticides, Center for Environmental Health, Farm Labor Organizing Committee (AFL-CIO), Natural Resources Defense Council, Pesticide Action Network North America, PCUN, United Farm Workers, and Teamsters Local 890.

We are pleased with the EPA's decision to end the use of this chemical and believe that farmworkers, consumers and the environment will be safer and healthier because of it.