EPA Head Met With Chemical Company CEO Before Dropping Pesticide Ban
According to a new report by The Associated Press, Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt met privately with the CEO of a chemical company before deciding to drop a ban on its pesticide.
The pesticide was banned under the Obama administration because it has been shown to harm children’s brains.
The AP report notes that Scott Pruitt met with the CEO of Dow Chemical, Andrew Liveris, for 30 minutes at a Houston hotel on March 9.
Later that month, Pruitt announced the EPA would no longer pursue a ban on Dow’s chlorpyrifos pesticide from being used on food.
An earlier EPA review found that even minuscule amounts of the pesticide could impact fetus and infant brain development.
According to the AP Pruitt also attended a larger group meeting with two other Dow executives, but a spokesperson said they didn’t discuss the pesticide.
Environmental groups like The Pesticide Action Network and the Natural Resource Defense Council have sued the EPA to block the use of the pesticide.
[image via screenshot]
