EPA proposes scaling back most use of weedkiller diuron, citing risks to people and wildlife

The Environmental Protection Agency "has proposed to end the use of the weedkiller diuron on most food crops, citing cancer risks to people who are exposed as well as danger to bees and other wildlife," Marc Heller reports for Energy & Environment News. "The agency’s proposed interim decision is part of a regular registration review of pesticides and comes over objections from the Department of Agriculture and farm groups, as well as the chemical’s manufacturer. The proposal’s related documents are available in a public docket. EPA said it’s not endorsing a total ban on diuron, which has been used on farms, in orchards and in non-agricultural settings since the late 1960s. But human health and ecological risk assessments support the proposal to scale back its use, the agency said, adding that farmers have other choices for chemical weedkillers."