Trump Administration Refuses to Ban Pesticide Used on Crops
President Donald Trump's administration denied a petition by environmental groups that sought to ban a common pesticide used on citrus fruits, apples, cherries and other crops, reversing a push by the Obama administration to revoke all uses of the pesticide on food after a government review concluded it could harm children's brains.
Organic apples are displayed for sale at a Kroger Co. store in Peoria, Illinois, on June 16, 2015.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Washington (AP) -- The Trump administration won't ban a common pesticide used on food, reversing efforts by the Obama administration to bar the chemical based on findings it could hinder development of children's brains.
In announcing the decision late Wednesday, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt said that by not banning chlorpyrifos, he was providing "regulatory certainty" to thousands of American farmers that rely on the pesticide.