EPA revokes approval of 'Agent Orange' glyphosate herbicide known as Enlist Duo ... Too toxic for even the EPA!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016 by: Jennifer Lea Reynolds
Tags: Agent Orange, Enlist Duo, EPA reversal

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(NaturalNews) In a victory for organic advocates and health-conscious individuals everywhere, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it plans to revoke its previous registration of the herbicide Enlist Duo, which contains a dangerous combination of glyphosate and 2,4-D.⁽¹⁾

In the past, the EPA said Dow's Enlist Duo was safe, noting the following:

After a rigorous analysis of all the scientific studies and considering all public comments, EPA is registering the herbicide Enlist Duo to control weeds for genetically engineered corn and soybeans. Use is safe for everyone, including infants, the developing fetus, the elderly, and highly exposed groups including agricultural workers. The approved use is safe for the environment including endangered species. The decision meets the rigorous Food Quality Protection Act standard of "reasonable certainty of no harm" to human health.⁽²⁾

What quickly followed after the EPA's initial registration was a backlash among the health-conscious, recognizing both glyphosate and 2,4-D's many health dangers. Petitions and lawsuits ensued, including Environmental Working Group's petition to the EPA stating that, "We need to do everything we can to make sure the EPA keeps this toxic weed killer away from our food and out of our environment."⁽³⁾

The health harms of glyphosate and 'Agent Orange'

Glyphosate, you'll recall, was deemed "probably carcinogenic to humans," in an International Agency for Research on Cancer report last year. It's considered to be a cancer-causing chemical linked to everything from infertility and birth defects, to Parkinson's disease and destruction of the nervous system. As for 2,4-D, it's the main ingredient in Agent Orange, which was used in Vietnam and led to 400,000 deaths and 500,000 more people being born with birth defects. There's nothing good about these chemicals, period.^(1,4)

Many people have understandably remained angered at the EPA's approval of Enlist Duo, saying that plans to spray the toxic concoction on Dow Chemicals' genetically-engineered corn and soy spells bad news all around.

The scoop on the EPA's latest decision

That's why the EPA's latest reversal decision is a welcome, albeit long-overdue, one. A year after its approval in late 2014, the EPA noted that Enlist Duo is more harmful than initially thought. In a document, "RESPONDENTS' MOTION FOR VOLUNTARY VACATUR AND REMAND," the following is stated:⁽⁵⁾

Respondent United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") hereby moves for voluntary vacatur and remand of EPA's registration, as amended, of Dow AgroSciences' ("Dow") "Enlist Duo" herbicide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act ("FIFRA") ... EPA is in receipt of new information regarding potential synergistic effects between the two ingredients on non-target plants, EPA seeks a voluntary remand in order to reconsider the Enlist Duo registration in light of the new information. EPA also seeks vacatur of the registration because EPA cannot be sure, without a full analysis of the new information, that the current registration does not cause unreasonable effects to the environment, which is a requirement of the registration standard under FIFRA.⁽⁵⁾

It's also explained that the ... EPA has learned that it did not have all relevant information at the time it made its registration decision, regarding Enlist Duo.⁽⁵⁾

As such, the ... new information obtained from Dow calls that finding into question—the information suggests that EPA's analysis may have understated the phytotoxicity of the product, therefore EPA can no longer be confident that Enlist Duo will not cause risks of concern to non-target organisms, including those listed as endangered, when used according to the approved label.⁽⁵⁾

... But will it last?

Let's hope this decision stays in place for the safety of people, crops and the planet's overall health. Still, one can't really shake the nagging feeling that Dow will come forth with some newfangled, backwards justification, in an effort to overturn the EPA's decision.

Time will tell.

Sources for this article include:

(1) LivingMaxWell.com

(2) EPA.gov^[PDF]

(3) NaturalNews.com

(4) NaturalNews.com

(5) BiologicalDiversity.org^[PDF]