EPA will give the public an additional 30 days to comment on a proposal to effectively ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on many food crops, the agency said Monday.
EPA said it will extend a comment period that was set to expire Monday, as the new administration weighs the ongoing use of chlorpyrifos, a widely used insecticide that’s been linked to nervous system damage in children exposed to residue on crops.
In a news release, EPA didn’t indicate any change in the proposal and said only that the proposal would be delayed for 30 days after a notice is published in the Federal Register.
The proposal would revoke food tolerances — or the acceptable amount of residue — for chlorpyrifos on all but 11 crops: alfalfa, apple, asparagus, cherry (tart), citrus, cotton, peach, soybean, strawberry, sugar beets and wheat.
