It’s looking like the weed-killer atrazine is in for a long uphill battle, reports Politico. The EPA recently assessed the widely sprayed substance as harmful to animals and plants. But last week agriculture industry groups charged that the federal agency’s study is based on a misguided scientific review.
If the federal government rules that the EPA is right, then the chemical will be banned for use by growers in the US. But, given the controversy over atrazine, that decision is likely years away.
Syngenta is the primary manufacturer of the roughly 70 million pounds of atrazine used on US crops each year. A former scientist at the company alleges that the EPA mischaracterized data in their assessment. He also claims the government dismissed important studies. “The agency came up with unjustified conclusions about the allowable level of atrazine in water,” he said.
