The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt signed an order denying the activist petition that sought to ban chlorpyrifos (Lorsban). This long fought battle starting in October 2015 was begun with pressure from Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) to submit a petition proposing to revoke all U.S. food tolerances of chlorpyrifos, in essence regulating it out of use. As one of the most widely used pesticides across the world, California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA) and other representatives of the agricultural industry defended the product and grower practices relentlessly in an effort to keep the product available. The largest issues being the main argument in the petition was centered on a study that lacked availability of raw data, duplication or further review. CCGGA and others recently submitted comments citing issues with this data, today’s news shows they listened. EPA’s denial of the petition is based off of the foundation in which EPA was created on, relying on sound-science and a transparent process. EPA will now direct its efforts to updating and revising its human health assessment for chlorpyrifos under the standard procedures of the ongoing registration review process, scheduled for completion on October 1, 2022. This is great news for producers and shows the EPA’s redirection towards supporting a scientific process!