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[ajb1888]

https://apnews.com/2350d7be5e24469ab445089bf663cdcb/EPA-chief-met-with-Dow-CEO-before-deciding-on-pesticide-ban?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration's top environmental official met privately with the chief executive of Dow Chemical shortly before reversing his agency's push to ban a widely used pesticide after health studies showed it can harm children's brains, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's schedule shows he met with Dow CEO Andrew Liveris on March 9 for about a half hour at a Houston hotel. Both men were featured speakers at an energy industry conference.

Twenty days later Pruitt announced his decision to deny a petition to ban Dow's chlorpyrifos pesticide from being sprayed on food, despite a review by his agency's scientists that concluded ingesting even minuscule amounts of the chemical can interfere with the brain development of fetuses and infants.

Dow, which spent more than $13.6 million on lobbying in 2016, has long wielded substantial political power in the nation's capital.
When President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February mandating the creation of task forces at federal agencies to roll back government regulations, he handed the pen to Dow's chief executive, who was standing at his side. Liveris heads a White House manufacturing working group. His company also wrote a $1 million check to help underwrite Trump's inaugural festivities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics urged Pruitt on Tuesday to take chlorpyrifos off the market. The group representing more than 66,000 pediatricians and pediatric surgeons said it is "deeply alarmed" by Pruitt's decision to allow the pesticide's continued use.
"There is a wealth of science demonstrating the detrimental effects of chlorpyrifos exposure to developing fetuses, infants, children, and pregnant women," the academy said in a letter to Pruitt. "The risk to infant and children's health and development is unambiguous."
The AP reported in April that Dow is also lobbying the Trump administration to "set aside" the findings of federal scientists that organophosphate pesticides, including chlorpyrifos, are harmful to about 1,800 critically threatened or endangered species.
The chemical is similar to one developed as a weapon in World War II. Dow has been selling Chlorpyrifos for spraying on citrus fruits, apples, cherries and other crops since the 1960s. It is among the most widely used agricultural pesticides in the United States. Dow sells about 5 million pounds domestically each year.

Didn't want this story lost in the shuffle. Wealth before health :/

 

[Autodidact]

I loathe Pruitt. I apologize to the rest of you for my state's inflicting him on the world.

 

[Ithil]

Shockingly, this extremely corrupt politician is continuing to be bought and paid for once put in charge of an agency he's paid to hate.

 

[WiiredShawn]

"Donald Trump wants to drain the swamp... right into your child's brain."

The attack ads write themselves, Dems.

 

[Septimus Prime]

I mean, they brought back Crystal Pepsi and Zima. Why not also DDT?

 

[ggx2ac]

Pruitt won't mind if someone feeds him chlorpyrifos right?

 

[cameron]

Twenty days later Pruitt announced his decision to deny a petition to ban Dow's chlorpyrifos pesticide from being sprayed on food, despite a review by his agency's scientists that concluded ingesting even minuscule amounts of the chemical can interfere with the brain development of fetuses and infants.

Scott Pruitt, everybody!

 

[Woo-Fu]

"Donald Trump wants to drain the swamp... right into your child's brain."

The attack ads write themselves, Dems.

Doesn't matter how good the ads are if the people who by all metrics should vote democrat don't vote at all.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

These people are honestly despicable beyond words

 

[Brhoom]

Will I have to resort to buying organic then? I don't want to spend 6$ for 5 bananas...

 

[Rebel Leader]

Scott Pruitt, everybody!

"Pro-life" my ass

 

[The Last Wizard]

These people are honestly despicable beyond words

I don't understand why people here are taken aback when someone says something bad about these asshats. They're truly evil.

 

[Akuun]

Honestly, knowingly trying to shoot down these bans should be a crime. It fucking maims and kills people.

 

[Earthstrike]

It's ok to poison it as long as it comes out of the fetus!

 

[Monocle]

Someone help me understand how this isn't pure evil. Like, how would I fit this into the Both Sides narrative?

 

[sturgboski]

Someone help me understand how this isn't pure evil. Like, how would I fit this into the Both Sides narrative?

By keeping this regulation, Farmers would go out of business and all the crops would be infected with brain eating parasites. Clearly the left is just as bad.

 

[Iorv3th]

Someone help me understand how this isn't pure evil. Like, how would I fit this into the Both Sides narrative?

There are regulations to how chemicals can be used. How long does the chemical stay on the plant, etc.

People see the part about the chemical being ingested is terrible, but that goes for all chemicals. You don't want to ingest them, but they only last a set number of days. Depending on the chemical, some are 7 days, some a lot longer.

I don't know enough about this chemical in particular though.



I hope this guy rescinds the ban on MSMA because that did not even have a proper study done to indicate any harm with it. There is a difference between things like organic arsenic and inorganic arsenic and while they both sound bad they act very differently.

 

[FUME5]

The use of Chlorpyrifos is not an issue on its own (IIRC it has been banned in Australia for use as a flea treatment but not as a pesticide), it's the fact that your EPA has been gutted so no-one is testing properties for things like this before selling land / changing to a more sensitive landuse.

EDIT

This is from the most recent guidance document:

The supplementary toxicology assessment found no evidence to indicate potential neurodevelopment effects to occur at or below doses of chlorpyrifos that are used to establish the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and acute reference dose (ARfD). The current ADI of 0.003 mg/kg bw/d, ARfD of 0.1 mg/kg bw and the poison schedule (Schedule 6) for chlorpyrifos remain appropriate.

 

[Cow Mengde]

Vaccines cause autism!!! Ban vaccines!!!

Spoiler

This is what terrifies me the most about this administration. I can see them doing something as stupid as this.

 

[Stinkles]

Someone help me understand how this isn't pure evil. Like, how would I fit this into the Both Sides narrative?

Vaccines take American jerbs

 

[leroidys]

It can harm fetuses? Isn't that bad when liberals do it?

 

[bigmit3737]

The use of Chlorpyrifos is not an issue on its own (IIRC it has been banned in Australia for use as a flea treatment but not as a pesticide), it's the fact that your EPA has been gutted so no-one is testing properties for things like this before selling land / changing to a more sensitive landuse.

EDIT

This is from the most recent guidance document:

The supplementary toxicology assessment found no evidence to indicate potential neurodevelopment effects to occur at or below doses of chlorpyrifos that are used to establish the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and acute reference dose (ARfD). The current ADI of 0.003 mg/kg bw/d, ARfD of 0.1 mg/kg bw and the poison schedule (Schedule 6) for chlorpyrifos remain appropriate.

But the article in the OP seems to be stating that all studies point to it being harmful and needs to be banned .

 

[kinoki]

Silent Spring is just eco propaganda. Bring back DDT. Spray every plant, animal and human with DDT. Make DDT a mandatory vitamin.

 

[FUME5]

But the article in the OP seems to be stating that all studies point to it being harmful and needs to be banned .

And the official Australian Government study I quoted states that there is no evidence to suggest that it is a teratogen below a certain dose threshold.

A toxicology study can be found here.

 

[bigmit3737]

And the official Australian Government study I quoted states that there is no evidence to suggest that it is a teratogen below a certain dose threshold.

A toxicology study can be found here.

Thanks but I don't think I will be able to understand the details of such a report .


Pruits actions are shady as fuck.
It seems like there was evidence that showed it was damaging to infants and even the scientific panel that the EPA relies on suggested a ban, but Pruit changes his mind and suggests we need more evidence .

The U.K. Outright banned this substance in 2016.
http://www.factcheck.org/2017/04/the-facts-on-chlorpyrifos/

 

[FUME5]

Thanks but I don't think I will be able to understand the details of such a report .


Pruits actions are shady as fuck.
It seems like there was evidence that showed it was damaging to infants and even the scientific panel that the EPA relies on suggested a ban, but Pruit changes his mind and suggests we need more evidence .

The U.K. Outright banned this substance in 2016.
http://www.factcheck.org/2017/04/the-facts-on-chlorpyrifos/

The problem with banning all organophosphate pesticides and organochloride pesticides is that we really don't have any other way to combat crop pests, which would lead to a lot of failed crops and a lot more people starving.

Proper regulation about allowed concentrations, where you can spray it and what environmental protections need to be in place to prevent them from migrating via air or groundwater (as well as a thorough testing regime for both workers and people consuming the produce) are what is needed.

I don't work in the farming industry, I'm an environmental consultant who tests sites mainly for petroleum contamination but I recently did some work for a pesticide site, so I may not be fully across the dangers presented by Chlorpyrifos (or the existence of safer alternatives), but the 'screening levels' applied by our environmental regulatory bodies are pretty damn conservative, so I am inclined to trust the conclusions of the documents I linked.

Not to say that Pruit hasn't caved to industry pressure.

 

[jason10mm]

Vaccines cause autism!!! Ban vaccines!!!

This is what terrifies me the most about this administration. I can see them doing something as stupid as this.

Why? Aren't most antivaccers hippy liberal types?

 

[CornBurrito]

Doesn't matter how good the ads are if the people who by all metrics should vote democrat don't vote at all.

Maybe people want actual progressive candidates like Sanders, who the Democrats have no interest in supporting.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

Why? Aren't most antivaccers hippy liberal types?

Hippy liberals and conservative conspiracy theorists overlap on this one.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

The problem with banning all organophosphate pesticides and organochloride pesticides is that we really don't have any other way to combat crop pests, which would lead to a lot of failed crops and a lot more people starving.

Proper regulation about allowed concentrations, where you can spray it and what environmental protections need to be in place to prevent them from migrating via air or groundwater (as well as a thorough testing regime for both workers and people consuming the produce) are what is needed.

I don't work in the farming industry, I'm an environmental consultant who tests sites mainly for petroleum contamination but I recently did some work for a pesticide site, so I may not be fully across the dangers presented by Chlorpyrifos (or the existence of safer alternatives), but the 'screening levels' applied by our environmental regulatory bodies are pretty damn conservative, so I am inclined to trust the conclusions of the documents I linked.

Not to say that Pruit hasn't caved to industry pressure.

But you are saying the article in the OP is potentially alarmist. Is that correct?

 

[Iorv3th]

But you are saying the article in the OP is potentially alarmist. Is that correct?

That's what it sounds like. I thought similar as well.