inon to be phased-out

[Guest guest]

Mags USA

" We " , the Cassandra cured, have warned about the dangers since

Carson's, _Silent Spring_. But will the precautionary principle be practiced

henceforth? Hardly. Critical thinking " if this, then that " seems to be a

forgotten tool when it comes to economics versus life on this planet

(including human). Will they now allow those who have been harmed to

receive compensation for the carnage of these poisons? Can their truly be any

compensation? Wake UP Maggie, you are dreaming!!

Many hours of activism brought this about. I honour our activists.

Maggie MacRaven

Tuesday December 5 2:18 AM ET

EPA Reportedly to Ban Insecticide inon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on

Tuesday will announce plans to phase out use of the insecticide

diazinon, the last widely used pest-control

product made from a class of chemicals linked to health risks for

children, USA Today reported on Tuesday.

EPA has reached a voluntary agreement with diazinon's chief

manufacturer, Syngenta AG (SYNZn.S), to

gradually halt all home and garden applications of the pesticide over

the next four years, the newspaper

reported, citing sources familiar with the deal.

Used in everything from household ant and roach killers to grub-killing

lawn sprays, diazinon is marketed under

such brands as Ortho, Spectracide and Real-Kill.

USA Today said the agreement was a major milestone in pesticide

regulation, effectively marking the end of

organophosphates, or OPs, chemicals derived from nerve gas agents

developed during the Second World

War.

Once among the nation's most widely used pesticides, OPs were singled

out for a regulatory crackdown six

years ago amid studies linking them to neurological disorders and other

health problems in children.

Under the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, Congress ordered

sweeping safety reviews of all pesticides,

starting with OPs. But thousands of pesticide uses have yet to be

evaluated. Chemical and agriculture interests

have fought the process, arguing that the EPA is targeting safe

pesticides needed to protect crops.

inon manufacturers say the product poses no health threat with

normal application, and the EPA, which

considers it less risky than other banned OPs, will continue to allow

some commercial crop uses. But Syngenta

officials say they can't justify paying for new studies needed to prove

diazinon's safety for consumer use.

The EPA's agreement to a phase out ``confirms the value and safety of

this product,'' Syngenta's Eileen

told the paper.

Environmental and consumer groups urged retailers to halt diazinon

sales immediately.