In a memorandum quietly posted to Regulations.gov yesterday, EPA has decided that it will raise the allowable level of #atrazine in water bodies like rivers, streams and lakes by 50%.
Yes, atrazine…
biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-r…
This is in response to Syngenta - the maker of atrazine - and Big Corn, who were furious that the Obama EPA actually proposed to reduce the allowable levels of atrazine in water by 3-fold in 2016 to protect aquatic life like frogs, fish and salamanders.
The current level is 10 ppb on a 60-day average. In a 2016 scientific analysis, the EPA proposed to reduce it to 3.4 ppb, a level that every single atrazine use would exceed. The Trump EPA is going to raise it to 15 ppb.
Atrazine levels above this threshold require mitigations to bring the water body back into compliance. Below, this level, no action is required.
This protection level for the environment also protects humans by reducing the level of atrazine in waters that are used as drinking water sources for people. This move will likely lead to an increase in atrazine in drinking water, particularly in the Midwest.
@ewg has done great work documenting the number of people who currently have atrazine in their drinking water.
30 million people in 28 states!! A number sure to rise, if this proposal is finalized
ewg.org/research/hormo…
The EPA’s about-face on atrazine comes after Jeff Sands, a former Syngenta lobbyist, was appointed as a senior agricultural advisor to then-EPA administrator Scott Pruitt in October 2017.
Sands received a waiver from Trump’s pledge to forbid political appointees from working on issues involving former employers or clients.
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.