Agent Orange, or 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid), used as a defoliant during the Vietnam War, is nasty. It is linked to cancer, cell damage, severe hormonal disruption, reproductive problems and birth defects. Invented during World War Two, 2,4-D is one of the oldest legally available pesticides on the market. Unfortunately, 46 million pounds of it are still used every year in the U.S. It is in weed-and-feed products, plus used for agricultural purposes. 2,4-D is detected in drinking water and as a contaminant in surface water and groundwater. It is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a hazardous air pollutant and by the state of California as a toxic air contaminant. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a lawsuit in federal court against the EPA on February 23 for failing to respond to a 2008 petition to cancel all registrations of 2,4-D. In other words, to ban all uses of 2,4-D. There is an urgency for the EPA to respond favorably to the petition. Dow Agrosciences petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for 2,4-D resistant genetically engineered crops to be deregulated. As the NRDC states in a press release, “This will put thousands more Americans at unnecessary risk.” Read more: care2/causes/agent-orange-still-used-in-the-u-s.html#ixzz2dsoYJF31
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 01:28:06 +0000
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