Friday, November 27, 2015

Pleasant Surprise: EPA Revokes New Herbicide



The EPA is revoking approval of a new herbicide that was going to be rolled-out with the latest variant of genetically modified seed, designed to be impervious to both 2,4-D and glyphosate:
Andrew Pollack, E.P.A. Revokes Approval of New Dow Herbicide for G.M.O. Crops. The New York Times, November 25, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/26/business/epa-revokes-approval-of-new-dow-herbicide.html?emc=edit_th_20151126&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=32962000&_r=0

The Environmental Protection Agency, in a surprising move, has decided to revoke the approval of a herbicide that was made to be used on a new generation of genetically modified crops.

The agency’s decision could delay the introduction of corn, soybeans and cotton developed by Dow Chemical to be resistant to the herbicide 2,4-D. But Dow said it did not anticipate a significant delay.

In a court filing on Tuesday, the E.P.A. said it had discovered new information suggesting that the herbicide, which Dow calls Enlist Duo, could be more toxic than previously believed. “E.P.A. can no longer be confident that Enlist Duo will not cause risks of concern to nontarget organisms, including those listed as endangered, when used according to the approved label,” the agency said in its filing to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco...

...Dow’s new crops, which are resistant to both glyphosate and the older herbicide 2,4-D, were eagerly awaited by some farmers, who would be able to spray 2,4-D over their crops to kill weeds that are not killed by glyphosate alone...

I personally choose to eat organic whenever possible because I don't want to eat plants doused in multiple pesticides, herbicides, fungicides etc. Plants doused in human-engineered chemicals get eaten by animals across the food chain, with effects both predictable and unpredictable.


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