Velázquez on Court’s Order to Ban Chlorpyrifos

Washington, DC - Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) released the following statement after a federal appeals court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to bar the use of Chlorpyrifos:

"I am pleased the Court recognized that EPA has ignored scientific evidence about the dangers Chlorpyrifos presents to farmworkers, children and the overall public health. This ruling is especially necessary as President Trump's EPA chose to pander to corporate chemical companies by failing to enact an Obama-era ban on Chlorpyrifos.

"While this ruling is an important step, it is unclear what will happen next and whether EPA may appeal. To that end, I urge Congress to pass my bill, which would codify a ban on Chlorpyrifos into statute."

The court's ruling comes after then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt refused to implement a ban on the pesticide in 2017. Velázquez previously introduced legislation, The Pesticide Protection Act of 2017, to prohibit the use and sale of Chlorpyrifos.