EPA Bans Use of Controversial Herbicide: Historic Decision

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made a historic decision on Tuesday by unexpectedly suspending all uses of a controversial herbicide linked to severe health risks for unborn children. This measure, the first of its kind in almost 40 years, concerns the herbicide Dimethyltetrachloroterephthalate, also known as DCPA or Dacthal. DCPA is used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and onions. According to EPA reports, fetal exposure to the substance can lead to lower birth weight, impaired brain development, reduced IQ, and limited motor skills. "DCPA is so dangerous that it must be immediately removed from the market," stated Michal Freedhoff, Deputy Administrator for the EPA's Office of Chemical Safety. Pregnant women unknowingly exposed to this substance could give birth to babies with lifelong, irreversible health issues. AMVAC Chemical Corp., the sole manufacturer of the herbicide, has not yet commented. The emergency order issued by the EPA is the result of several years of intense efforts to compel the manufacturer to provide its own data on the product's health risks. According to EPA estimates, pregnant women working with DCPA products could be exposed to levels up to 20 times higher than the EPA's safety threshold for fetuses. Mily Treviño Sauceda, Executive Director of the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, an alliance of female agricultural workers, called the EPA's decision "historic." The European Union has already banned the use of DCPA on crops since 2009. However, some interest groups criticized the agency for not acting sooner. "The EPA's decision to finally suspend DCPA is welcome but long overdue," said Alexis Temkin, Senior Toxicologist at the Environmental Working Group. She pointed to earlier EPA statements from the 1990s that highlighted the health risks of the pesticide based on manufacturer studies. A 2019 study showed that more than half of adolescent females from agricultural worker communities in Salinas Valley, California, were exposed to DCPA. Some agricultural businesses expressed resistance to the herbicide ban. In a 2022 letter, a representative of Griffin Ranches in Yuma, Arizona, argued that the substance is an "indispensable tool" for combating yield-reducing grasses and weeds.