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Wednesday, December 11, 2019

New York to ban chlorpyrifos, pesticide linked to brain damage in kids, but with regulations instead of legislation

New York state will ban the use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to pediatric brain damage, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo insists that it be done via regulations rather than legislation, Keshia Clukey and John Herzfeld report for Bloomberg.

On Dec. 10, Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have phased out the pesticide by the end of 2021, and at the same time told the state Department of Environmental Conservation to issue a similar phase-out. "His actions will result in an immediate ban on aerial uses of chlorpyrifos, to be followed by regulations to ban the chemical in all uses, except spraying apple tree trunks, by December 2020. That exception would be lifted by July 2021, he said," Clukey and Herzfeld report. "The governor’s action appears to adopt the legislation’s approach, but on a faster timeline and with opportunity for public comment on the terms."

Cuomo said that he vetoed the bill because it gives legislators more power to vet a product than chemists and other health experts. He also said state law gives the Department of Environmental Conservation broad regulatory powers, "including the ability to restrict the use of a pesticide to certain crops, limit application to specific conditions, and revoke a product’s registration," Clukey and Herzfeld report.

In August, New York and five other states sued the Environmental Protection Agency over its refusal to ban chlorpyrifos.

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