Environmental advocacy groups are suing EPA over its decision to approve a pesticide found to be highly toxic to bees, fish and other species.
The petition, filed Thursday in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, claims EPA violated federal pesticides and endangered species laws by registering products containing isocycloseram, used to fend off cockroaches and other unwanted pests on farms and in buildings.
The agency in its own assessment found isocycloseram could lead to reduced testicle size, lower sperm count and liver toxicity. The agency also predicted the chemical could have adverse effects on more than 1,000 threatened or endangered species — a threat water agencies and environmentalists have flagged for concern.
Regulators said those risks can be avoided if the pesticide is used according to the restrictions on the required label.
