US EPA to revamp pesticide evaluations

The US Environmental Protection Agency is taking another stab at revising its process for assessing the risks of pesticides to endangered species. The move comes after manufacturers of three organophosphate insecticides urged the agency to abandon an approach established in 2015. The EPA used the method to evaluate chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion. During the final days of the Obama administration, the agency concluded that all three are likely to adversely affect more than 1,000 endangered species. After pushback from the pesticide industry, the EPA is now proposing changes that would affect those determinations. Traditionally, the agency has used the maximum allowed usages stated on the pesticide label. Pesticide manufacturers claim that approach is overly conservative. The EPA now proposes evaluating risks using actual pesticide use data from various sources. Environmental groups argue that doing so would exclude from the analysis large geographical areas where no pesticide use data are available.