USDA Welcomes Rehearing on Chlorpyrifos

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue praised a Department of Justice decision to request a rehearing of a pesticide case before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The DOJ has asked for a rehearing in a case in which the court directed the Environmental Protection Agency to ban chlorpyrifos, a common and useful pesticide, within 60 days.

In his statement, Perdue said USDA disagreed with the ruling, adding: “The decision appears to be based on a misunderstanding of both the available scientific information and EPA’s pesticide regulatory system.” The Department of Agriculture says Chlorpyrifos is used on well over 50 crops grown throughout the United States due to its effectiveness and broad-spectrum activity across multiple pests. For some crops and target pests, USDA said chlorpyrifos is the only line of defense, with no viable alternatives.

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