The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the 9th District in a decision this week ordered the EPA to ban a widely used pesticide that's been linked to learning disabilities in children land that former EPA chief Scott Pruitt refused to take off the market. The EPA under the Obama administration proposed a ban on the pesticide. (chlorpyrifos)
But the court noted that in March 2017, one of Pruitt's first acts was to reverse the plan to ban the chemical and that EPA offered little explanation for its actions. The court also noted that the EPA offered no defense of its decision to reverse the ban of the chemical. In a statement Thursday, Earthjustice attorney Marisa Ordonia applauded the decision for ending EPA's shameful actions that have exposed children and farm workers to this poison for decades.
The court also said the EPA's decision violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which law governs pesticides and requires the EPA to ban chemicals from being used on food if they are proven to cause harm. The chemical is produced by Dow Chemical Company and used on more than 50 different crops on thousands of American farms. It was banned in 2000 for in-home use.
Scott Pruitt is no longer EPA director and resigned in disgrace recently. But Pruitt are the kind of people Trump appoints to high positions in his administration. Un-qualified people who are just there to carry out Trumps orders to reverse all the good that has been accomplished in regulating and safe guarding the environment. And thank the good Lord for the regulations put into effect before Trump came to office that allowed the court in this case to make a sound judgement and decision. Trump's regressive actions for the past 18 months are un-American and of his own doing. This issue and the actions by the court clearly confirms republicans use ideology instead of facts to make their decisions and arrive at conclusions even though scientific findings told a different story.
The best answer is still the impeachment of this malignant President who has no respect for any one or anything American.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
