A popular pesticide, used by Georgia farmers is being banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Endosulfan has been around since the 1950’s. It’s used on crops like cotton, strawberries and a myriad of vegetables. The chemical kills lots of bugs and it’s cheap. It’s sprayed on the ground and from the air.
But the EPA says it’s toxic to people who work with it or live near where it’s used. Environmentalists go further. Scientist Jennifer Sass with the Natural Resources Defense Council says when its hot endosulfan travels from the ground to the air and eventually lands far away.
“The Arctic actually becomes a sink. It’s sort of the final resting place for a lot of these really toxic volatile chemicals and endosulfan is one of them.”
Georgia agriculture officials say the EPA has been looking at a lot of the older chemicals used in farming. They expect endosulfan use to stop within the next year.