Today the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has cancelled all food uses of a nasty toxic bird-killing, worker-poisoning pesticide called carbofuran. Yay! Way to earn back the "EP" in your name, EPA!

Initially, EPA had said that although uses of the pesticide in the U.S. would be cancelled, it would still be allowed as a contaminant on imported coffee, sugarcane, rice, and bananas. This would have meant that the manufacturer, FMC Corp., could still sell carbofuran in other countries that grow these foods  for U.S. markets, thus putting at much greater risk those foreign workers, their families, and their environment. Today's decision will prevent all food contamination, including imports.

There are still two non-food uses of carbofuran that will remain: spinach seeds and pine seedlings will still be allowed to be treated with a granular form of carbofuran. EPA said that its future intentions are to cancel these uses as well, although today it is only the food uses that are being cancelled.

There is a U.S. production cap of 2,500 lbs per year for domestic uses, although there is more carbofuran that is produced in the U.S. and exported. How much more? That production information is considered confidential business information, not available to the public.

I hope that today's decision by EPA will weaken the ability of FMC to sell its toxic products in other countries.