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EPA will not ban pesticide linked to children's health problems

In this image, Scott Pruitt rubs his face at a hearing.
Scott Pruitt testifies at a 2018 hearing. He reversed an Obama-era decision to ban chlorpyrifos. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

The Environmental Protection Agency will not ban chlorpyrifos, a commonly used pesticide linked with heath and developmental problems in children, the NYT reports.

Flashback: Thursday's decision follows a federal appeals court ruling last August banning the pesticide. Chlorpyrifos was banned in 2015 by the Obama administration, after EPA studies demonstrated its potential for brain damage in children. Former EPA chief Scott Pruitt reversed that decision in 2017.

The bottom line: "The product, sold under the commercial name Lorsban, has already been banned for household use but remains in widespread use by farmers for more than 50 fruit, nut, cereal and vegetable crops," reports the Times.

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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)