EPA gave final approval Thursday to a new pesticide that public water agencies warned could pass through sewage treatment plants into waterways, where it’s highly toxic to fish.
The environmental agency said it registered 10 products containing the chemical, isocycloseram, for use on various crops and in buildings to kill cockroaches and other pests.
As long as the pesticide is used according to the label — which requires restrictions on how and where it’s applied — isocycloseram doesn’t pose human health risks or endanger aquatic or land-based plants, said the agency, which also included restrictions on use around storm and sewer drains.
“This new active ingredient will give farmers an additional tool to help manage crops and grow more food for our country,” the agency said in a news release, adding that targeted pests, such as the tarnished plant bug and Colorado potato beetle, can cause significant crop damage.
