How the U.S. and other countries fail to adequately regulate pesticides
Dicamba herbicide is causing a civil war in farm country. Honeybee rustling in California’s almond groves. And sulfur’s link to asthma in children.
The agency based its decision on “shockingly insufficient” company studies. Now millions of dollars in soybeans and other crops have been destroyed.
For one of the most popular and potent pesticides, California regulators increased how much could be used in each community every year. It’s a move that Dow has been advocating for since 2008, department documents show.
The suit alleges that the chemical company should have given notice when growers used 1,3-Dichloropropene, a popular but toxic pesticide manufactured exclusively by Dow.
Since outcry over pesticide use began in Ventura County, California, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation has responded to the community’s questions with statements that contradict the findings of its own scientists and exaggerate its own policies.
Residents in California farming counties such as Kern, Fresno and San Joaquin are being put at a higher risk of cancer than state scientists believe to be acceptable, internal documents and interviews show.
Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate, is one of the most widely used pesticides in the world. Recent studies found that the chemical probably causes cancer, in addition to other health risks, and may contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Ventura County Supervisor John Zaragoza is calling for an investigation into pesticide use around Rio Mesa High School after our story found that a loophole created by the state’s pesticide regulator put people in more than 100 communities statewide at greater cancer risk.
La industria de fresas de $2.6 billones de California depende de un tipo de pesticidas llamados fumigantes, que han sido relacionados con el cáncer, problemas de desarrollo y el agotamiento del ozono.
For years, honeybees were dying mysteriously. There have been some glimmers of hope recently, but a simple fact remains: Bees still are on the decline, and no one’s sure why.
