Douglas Main

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December 17, 2024

EPA must tighten pesticide rules to protect pollinators like bees and butterflies, petition argues

By Douglas Main

US regulators should require pesticide makers to more thoroughly tests their products for toxicity to insects before approval, according to a petition submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday by an environmental advocacy group.

Most pesticides registered for use in the US have not been rigorously tested for their impacts on insects other than honeybees, a single non-native species. Scientists and conservationists have argued for years that this system fails to protect pollinators and underestimates the toll of pesticides on these animals, which is especially relevant given the decline of many insect species worldwide.

The EPA only requires that manufacturers perform, at a minimum, three narrow tests on adult bees to study a chemical’s toxicity on insects.

“They’re not an appropriate surrogate for the other 4,000 wild species we have in North America, nor are they a surrogate for other pollinators like moths and butterflies,” said Rosemary Malfi with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

The petition was filed on behalf of Xerces by the environmental law group Earthjustice.

Many of proposed changes come directly from EPA experts or academics invited to advise the agency.

“They’re not following their own recommendations,” Malfi said.

December 10, 2024

Feds propose protecting monarch butterflies under Endangered Species Act

By Douglas Main

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on Tuesday proposed listing the monarch butterfly as a threatened species, a move that follows years of mounting concerns about declining counts of the iconic insect.

The decision to grant the butterflies protections under the Endangered Species Act comes after years of analysis and demands from environmental groups for stronger protections for monarchs.

“Today’s monarch listing decision is a landmark victory 10 years in the making. It is also a damning precedent, exposing the driving role of pesticides and industrial agriculture in the ongoing extinction crisis,” George Kimbrell, legal director at the Center for Food Safety, said in a press release. The center is one of the groups that sued the government over the issue several years ago.

The group noted in its statement that the “once-common orange-and-black butterflies have declined by 90% in recent decades, with the latest count showing the second smallest population on record.”

Under the government proposal, critical habitat would be designated for the insect, and a recovery plan crafted. The proposal opens a 90-day comment period that will close on March 12, 2025, after which the FWS is likely to issue a final opinion. It is unclear how the incoming Trump Administration, which is expected to emphasize deregulation, will act on the proposal and comments.

December 3, 2024

Court rules USDA’s GE crop rules break law, must be reworked

By Douglas Main

US regulators made “significant” errors in adopting a new rule four years ago around the release of genetically modified crops, and must now strengthen oversight, a federal court ruled this week.

The US District Court for the Northern District of California sided with the National Family Farm Coalition and other plaintiffs in finding that a rule issued in 2020 by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) related to regulation of genetically engineered (GE) crops ran afoul of other federal laws.

Close to 100 new GE plants have been exempted from USDA oversight since the 2020 rule took effect. The court vacated the rule, effective Dec. 2, and sent it back to USDA for “reconsideration consistent with this order.”

“This is a critical victory on behalf of farmers, the planet, and scientific integrity,” George Kimbrell, legal director for the plaintiff Center for Food Safety, and counsel in the case, said in a statement. “USDA tried to hand over its job to [the] pesticide industry and the Court held that capitulation contrary to both law and science.”

Up until 2020, most GE crops were evaluated by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) before they were allowed to be used commercially. But during the first Trump Administration, the agency took a deregulatory course, making it easier to bring new genetically altered plants to market.

Several environmental groups sued in 2021, arguing that these 2020 rules violated the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Plant Protection Act.

In this week’s decision, US District Judge James Donato ruled that the USDA violated the Plant Protection Act, as well as the Administrative Procedure Act, by failing to account for harm caused by the 2020 rules. In re-writing these regulations, Donato wrote: “APHIS’s errors are significant.”

November 25, 2024

Can the world agree to a sensible treaty to end plastic pollution?

By Douglas Main

As the US faces the upcoming inauguration of a president known for opposing opposition regulations, delegates from the US and more than 170 countries are meeting this week try to finalize a global treaty to address plastic pollution, in a process organized by the United Nations Environment Program that launched back in spring of 2022.

Some advocates and countries say this meeting in Busan, South Korea, amounts to a last chance to set common-sense limits to prevent an upcoming wave of plastic pollution. The situation is already grim: The world makes approximately 430 million metric tons of plastic every year, more than the weight of all humans combined. Nearly three-fourths of this material ends up in landfills or the environment. If current trends continue, global plastic use and waste will nearly triple by 2060, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

On one side are the “high ambition” parties, led by Norway and Rwanda, and 66 other countries. They’re pushing for a legally binding treaty that caps production, addresses the design and makeup of products, limits toxic materials, and controls for the pollution and harm caused throughout the entire life cycle of plastic production and use.

Other countries, including those that produce a lot of oil and plastic — such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China — have been resisting limits on production and many of these other demands.

The U.S. position in unclear. The Biden Administration made waves this summer in saying they would support efforts to curb production. And last week, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new “National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution”, saying it aligned with the nation’s “commitment to negotiating an ambitious international agreement with the aim of protecting public health and the environment by reducing plastic pollution around the world.”

The EPA highlighted the “significant human health concerns” associated with exposures to plastic pollution, including cancers, reproductive health problems, heart attack, stroke and other problems. The EPA noted microplastics have been found in human breast milk and research has found them elsewhere in the body, including in the brain.

Still, this month, White House staffers reportedly told representatives of advocacy groups in a closed-door meeting that they would no longer support mandatory caps on production, and would take a more “flexible” approach to a deal, according to Grist.

November 20, 2024

Bioplastics may be toxic to soil organisms, study calls for more testing

By Douglas Main

Bioplastics, often considered a safer alternative to synthetic plastics, may in some cases be toxic to soil organisms, a worrisome finding that indicates a need for more thorough testing, according to a new study.

The work adds to a growing body of research suggesting that bioplastics, which are derived from plant materials or other biological feedstocks, are not necessarily safer than plastics that come from petroleum.

The new study, published this month in Environmental Science and Technology, found that two types of bioplastic fibers were more toxic to earthworms than were bits of conventional polyester. While promoted as “environmentally friendly,” the alternative materials actually may be more harmful in some ways than the conventional plastic, the study determined.

“We need more comprehensive testing of these materials before they are used as alternatives to plastics,” said Bangor University researcher Winnie Courtene-Jones, who is lead author of the study.

Bio-based fibers like viscose and lyocell are used in clothing, especially in fast fashion, but also in wet wipes and a range of other products. The study said more than 320,000 metric tons were produced in the textile industry in 2022 and that is expected to continue to climb. When such clothes are washed, they can shed fibers into wastewater. Thousands of tons of sewage sludge are added to farmlands around the world, which can directly transmit such fibers into the soil.

The study authors said they exposed worms to fibers from polyester, as well as viscose and lyocell, which are made from cellulose and used in “natural” fabrics. They found that after three days, 30% of the first group died, while the death toll was 60% for viscose, and 80% for lyocell.

November 15, 2024

Can anything be done to Trump-proof the environment?

By Douglas Main

As advocacy groups brace for a new administration under President-elect Donald Trump —fearing a slew of deregulation and policy changes that would undermine a range of environmental health measures —some are pondering ways to try to “Trump-proof” the planet.

Trump racked up the worst environmental record of any president during his first term, according to several advocacy organizations, and many worry his second time around will be even worse.

They expect across-the-board cuts to federal budgets and staff, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Interior, and other agencies that play key roles in protecting human and environmental health. And they forecast efforts to reverse environmentally friendly policies protested by powerful corporate players.

“I suspect Trump will be less restrained than last time… more aggressive and damaging,” said Brett Hartl, with the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’ll wait for the storm to hit and fight back,” he added.

These concerns come after the Biden administration has implemented of many hard-fought measures such as new standards to address widespread contamination of US drinking water with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and environmental justice initiatives to better protect marginalized communities from industrial pollution.

The current administration has, just this month alone, completed a series of steps lauded by conservationists and environmentalists that include finalizing rules to limit oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and finishing a proposal to restrict oil exploration and grazing in 65 million acres of sage grouse habitat.

November 6, 2024

Over 20 agrochemicals, including common herbicides, linked to prostate cancer

By Douglas Main

New research adds to evidence that several types of agrochemicals — including the widely used herbicides 2,4-D and glyphosate — may raise the risk of prostate cancer.

A study published November 4 in the journal Cancer examined the relationship between the quantity of pesticides used in US counties over certain spans of time and then the rates of prostate cancer 14 years later. Nearly two dozen of these chemicals were consistently associated with an elevated risk of the disease, which is the most common cancer in men, and is considered the second-most deadly.

The results suggest more research is urgently needed to further understand the role these chemicals may play in the development of this and other cancers, the authors wrote.

“Many pesticides have not been sufficiently studied for their potential carcinogenic effects, particularly in relation to prostate cancer,” said study co-author Simon Soerensen, a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University.

The findings add to concerns about the health impacts of chronic exposure to pesticides, and are merely the latest in years of research to link chemicals used in farming with different cancers and other diseases.

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies 2,4-D as “possibly” carcinogenic to humans, for instance. And six other chemicals looked at in the study are currently classified as “potential human carcinogens” by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA classifies the herbicide diuron in particular, as a known/likely carcinogen.

October 31, 2024

LA County accuses Pepsi and Coca-Cola of lying to consumers, worsening plastic pollution

By Douglas Main

Los Angeles this week sued PepsiCo and Coca-Cola for allegedly deceiving consumers and playing a “significant role” in a plastic pollution crisis that harms wildlife and poses a risk to human health.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that the two global beverage and food companies are the “top plastic polluters in the world” and have engaged in a disinformation campaign designed to make consumers falsely believe that purchasing their products in single-use plastic bottles is an “environmentally responsible choice.”

“Coke and Pepsi need to stop the deception and take responsibility for the plastic pollution problems [their] products are causing,” Los Angeles County Board Chair Lindsey Horvath said in a statement.

Neither PepsiCo nor Coca-Cola immediately replied to requests for comment.

However, William Dermody, a spokesperson for American Beverage, which represents the non-alcoholic beverage industry in the U.S., wrote in a statement that “the allegation that our packaging is not and will not be recycled is simply not true.” Dermody added that “our bottles are designed to be recycled and remade and can include up to 100% recycled plastic.”

The suit is one of a growing number of cases where governmental bodies are pursuing legal means to address environmental problems relating to plastic.

October 31, 2024

High levels of hazardous heavy metals found in products used to fight wildfires

By Douglas Main

A new study shows that sprays and retardants used to fight wildfires contain surprisingly high levels of toxic heavy metals, a “disturbing” finding at a time when wildfires are generally getting worse.

The paper, published October 30 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, found that each of 14 fire suppression products examined contained at least eight of the ten heavy metals tested for, including chromium, cadmium, lead, and arsenic. Most of these metals or their derivatives are highly toxic, and known to cause a long list of diseases, including cancer.

All have been approved for use by the US Forest Service, which did not respond to a request for comment.

The findings raise questions about the ecological and human health impact of spraying large quantities of these materials over huge tracts of land in the western United States, according to study lead author Daniel McCurry, an environmental chemist at the University of Southern California.

McCurry and colleagues became interested in investigating these products’ chemistry as wildfire severity has increased in recent years and news reports showed these being used widely throughout California and other western states.

Wildfires have generally become more intense and widespread in recent years and decades, an expected outcome of human-caused climate change and land management practices. A total of just under 8 million acres have burned so far this year in the United States, a 24% increase over the 10 year average. Research suggests wildfires will get more severe and burn more acres in coming decades.

October 24, 2024

Agricultural chemicals are more toxic to insects than previously thought

By Douglas Main

New research provides evidence that chemicals used in farming may be more harmful to insects than previously thought, contributing to worldwide declines in important species.

In a wide-ranging, first-of-a-kind study published October 24 in the journal Science, scientists found that extremely small, sublethal concentrations of over 580 insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other chemicals can have serious negative impacts on the behavior and subsequent survival of certain insects. The scientists tested some of the chemicals on fruit fly larvae, mosquitoes, and butterflies.

The results were “very shocking,” said study co-author Justin Crocker, a researcher with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany.

The study bolsters the case that agrochemicals play a big role in plummeting populations of insects, a phenomenon that can gravely harm food production since certain insects are needed to pollinate key food crops.

In the paper, researchers exposed 75 fruit fly larvae to three concentrations of 1,024 different agrochemicals. The smallest level tested (2 micromoles) is well within the range found in the real world; for example, it’s not uncommon to find this concentration of the herbicide glyphosate in streams near crop fields.

After only 16 hours of exposure, they transferred the insects to vials containing chemical-free food, and filmed their behavior. More than half of these substances caused discernible changes in the behavior of developing insects.