Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of nine attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The letter addresses EPA's proposal to ban chlorpyrifos residue on some food crops while allowing it on others, despite its known neurodevelopmental risks to children.

EPA's current proposal would ban chlorpyrifos residue on 70 food crops but allow it on 11, including alfalfa, apple, asparagus, tart cherry, citrus, cotton, peach, soybean, strawberry, sugar beet, and spring and winter wheat. California has already banned the application of chlorpyrifos on all food crops since late 2020. However, residues from imported foods continue to pose health risks in the state.

"The facts are clear: chlorpyrifos exposure poses a grave danger to a child’s health. This pesticide has no place in our food systems," stated Attorney General Bonta. "We cannot ignore the health implications and urge the EPA to fully eliminate this harmful pesticide."

Chlorpyrifos is known for its acute toxicity and association with neurodevelopmental harms in children. Prenatal exposure can lead to lower birth weight, reduced IQ, memory loss, attention disorders, and delayed motor development. Acute exposure may result in symptoms such as sweating, salivation, vomiting, low blood pressure and heart rate, seizures, and even death. Exposure occurs through food residues, contaminated drinking water, agricultural spray drift, and manufacturing or handling by agricultural or chemical workers.

Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), the EPA must ensure that aggregate exposure to chlorpyrifos will not cause harm. The current proposal has shifted this responsibility onto those advocating for a complete ban by stating there is insufficient data to prove that residues on the remaining 11 crops are unsafe.

The attorneys general argue that EPA should ban chlorpyrifos residue for all food crops because there is no adequate safety determination for the 11 exempted crops. They also criticize EPA's toxicological analysis as inadequate due to its failure to identify a safe level of exposure for children.

Attorney General Bonta collaborated with his counterparts from New York, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia in sending this letter.

A copy of the letter can be found here.