A weed killer that’s one of the most commonly used pesticides on farms doesn’t pose extinction risks for endangered species exposed to it, the Fish and Wildlife Service has determined.
As part of a routine pesticide registration review, the agency said atrazine — a cancer-linked chemical used heavily on corn throughout the country — won’t jeopardize listed animals and plants, although they’re likely to see “adverse effects” if exposed.
The final biological opinion is a key required step toward EPA renewing atrazine’s 15-year registration, a process that’s been underway for a few years and has generated lawsuits from the Center for Biological Diversity.
Already contentious with environmental groups that want to see a atrazine ban, the review comes as pesticides generate attention from the Make America Healthy Again movement, which aims to reduce their use and has ties to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
