EPA issues emergency order to halt use of dangerous pesticide

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an emergency order Tuesday to remove from the market a pesticide linked to fetal damage, its first such action in nearly four decades.

In a statement, the EPA said exposure to the pesticide, dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, also known DCPA or dacthal, can affect fetal thyroid hormone levels. These changes are in turn associated with lower birth weights and impairments to brain development and motor skills.

The EPA’s risk assessment, which the agency released in May 2023, estimates that handling DCPA products while pregnant could expose fetuses to between four and 20 times the chemical level considered safe. Environments where the pesticide has already been applied may be similarly risky, particularly for agricultural workers doing work such as weeding or harvesting in areas where it has been applied.

DCPA is primarily used for weed control for crops, including cabbage, onions and broccoli. The EPA made the decision at a time when DCPA is up for its registration review, a process all pesticides must undergo every 15 years under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.

Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, called the compound “so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately” in a statement.

“It’s EPA’s job to protect people from exposure to dangerous chemicals. In this case, pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems. That’s why for the first time in almost 40 years, EPA is using its emergency suspension authority to stop the use of a pesticide,” Freedhoff said.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee, said, “Farmworkers face burdensome conditions in the fields and often face exposure to harmful pesticides while working to feed our nation. I applaud the emergency action by the EPA which prioritizes farmworker health and safety, especially for pregnant women, by suspending this harmful chemical from our agricultural systems.

“We must continue to build on this progress and ensure all farmworkers are given the protection, worker’s rights, and overtime pay they deserve,” Grijalva added.