Prior to Public Act 22-142 enacted in January 2023, 80% of chlorpyrifos was used on Connecticut golf courses for cosmetic purposes. 

 

Chlorpyrifos, not a neonicotinoid, has devastating impacts on our health and children’s developing brains as well as devastating harms to pollinators and other wildlife. It is primarily used to kill pests on food crops around the country, and on golf courses, ornamental plants sold at nurseries, mosquito control, wood products, sod farms, cattle ear tags, and industrial sites. 

 

A Lesson in How a Nerve Damaging Pesticide Remains in Use in the U.S.

 

World War II  Chlorpyrifos, part of a family of nerve agents, is developed during WWII 

1965-2006  Chlorpyrifos was first registered in 1965 and re-registered in 2006 in the United States as a pesticide. 

2000  The EPA banned indoor uses, such as roach sprays and other household products because of health risks. 

2015  The Obama administration proposed banning the pesticide's use on food due to the toxicity of causing brain damage in children; however, 

2017  The Trump Administration's EPA reversed that effort, adopting Dow's position that the science claiming chlorpyrifos is harmful was inconclusive and flawed.

2018-2021  After several lawsuits were filed against the EPA and 2 court decisions by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit concluded the EPA failed to follow its own science to protect children from the toxic pesticide, the EPA banned chlorpyrifos on all food uses in 2021.

2023  Unfortunately, on November 2, 2023 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated the agency’s rule. Current status of chlorpyrifos by the EPA reflects a systematic pattern of allowing toxic pesticides to be used, contradicting scientific evidence, while other countries and states (California, Hawaii, New York, Maryland, and Oregon) have already banned them.

2023  Connecticut bans chlorpyrifos use on golf courses

Today   Because of the 2023 EPA reversal, 11 foods grown non-organically in the U.S. are allowed to be sprayed with Chlorpyrifos in certain states. 

Chlorpyrifos Use in Europe

In August of 2019 the European Food and Safety Authority issued a statement that concluded that chlorpyrifos-methyl (and later chlorpyrifos- ethyl) has no possible safety limit and does not meet the human health criteria for renewal on the European Market. In December of 2019 the European Union banned chlorpyrifos-methyl and chlorpyrifos-ethyl. Later challenged in a lawsuit by the agro-chemical companies that manufacture the chemicals, the ban was upheld in October 2023. In December of 2023 the agro-chemical companies filed an appeal against the ruling. 

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