Statement: Gov. Cuomo Directs DEC to Ban the Use of Chlorpyrifos

Victory

Today, New York Gov. Cuomo directs the state Department of Environmental Conservation to ban all uses, except spraying apple tree trunks, by December 2020 and a full ban of the brain-damaging pesticide by July 2021

Contacts

Nydia Gutierrez, Earthjustice, (212) 284-8030

In response to Governor Cuomo’s order to the Department of Environmental Conservation to ban chlorpyrifos, Peter Lehner, Managing Attorney for Sustainable Food and Farming at Earthjustice, said:

“We appreciate Governor Cuomo’s promise that DEC will ban all uses of chlorpyrifos by July 2021. This dangerous pesticide harms our children, farmworkers, and communities. The science is clear and beyond dispute. New York must ban chlorpyrifos to protect public health. We also applaud Senator Kaminsky and Assemblyman Englebright for their leadership in sponsoring the bill, passed by the legislature last April, that would have banned chlorpyrifos in New York and has led to today’s action. Unfortunately, the Governor is relying instead on a regulatory process. We will monitor DEC’s actions closely to make sure there is no delay in the agency’s fulfilling the Governor’s promise to New Yorkers.”

To learn more about our action against chlorpyrifos click here: What You Need to Know About Chlorpyrifos

NY Gov. Cuomo directed the state Department of Environmental Conservation to ban most uses chlorpyrifos by Dec. 2020. In Dec. 2019, the European Union announced a ban on chlorpyrifos.
(Brad Covington / CC BY 2.0)
NY Gov. Cuomo directed the state Department of Environmental Conservation to ban most uses chlorpyrifos by Dec. 2020. In Dec. 2019, the European Union announced a ban on chlorpyrifos. (Brad Covington / CC BY 2.0)

Additional Resources

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