KPBS Midday Edition

California Will Ban Pesticide Because Of Effects On Children

By Jade Hindmon / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Pat Finn / Producer

Published May 13, 2019 at 8:33 AM PDT

This story was published more than 5 years ago.

A lemon tree heavy with fruit, April 7, 2017.

California has announced it will ban a pesticide heavily used on citrus and almonds because of its neurological effects on infants and children.

California, one of the largest agricultural states in the country, has announced it will ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos.

State health officials initiated the ban because of mounting evidence that the pesticide causes neurological damage in infants and children.

Chlorpyrifos, made by Dow Chemical, is used on crops such as citrus and almonds. In 2015, California farmers used about two million pounds of the pesticide. The current usage is about 900,000 pounds annually, which still makes the state the largest user in the country.

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It could take two years before the ban takes complete effect. Dow has declared it will fight the state's action.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency continues to allow the sale of chlorpyrifos.

Brady Dennis, a reporter for The Washington Post, who focuses on environmental and health issues, joins Midday Edition Monday to discuss California's decision to ban the pesticide.

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KPBS Midday Edition Agriculture

Jade Hindmon

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Jade Hindmon is the host of KPBS Midday Edition. She connects San Diego through fearless conversations that inform, inspire and make you think. Prior to Midday Edition Jade was a reporter and fill-in anchor in the KPBS newsroom covering everything from politics to policing and the economy. Her award winning work spans network affiliates across the southeast and midwest. As a very proud Rattler, Jade studied broadcast journalism and political science at Florida A&M University. She takes a special interest in topics about democracy, accountability, racial justice, science and wellness.

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Pat Finn

Pat Finn previously served as a producer for KPBS Midday Edition and KPBS Evening Edition. Finn began her career in broadcasting at KTLA and KCET in Los Angeles. In 1979 she became KPBS’ Public Information Director, then Director of Advertising and Promotion, Program Director, and Director of Broadcasting. She oversaw the station’s local and national productions, including the one-hour documentary Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, and Child Protective Services, a one-hour look inside the San Diego County agency responsible for the welfare of at risk children. Both programs also aired on public television stations nationwide. Finn has earned honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

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