With Market Collapse, EPA Cancels Highly Hazardous Wood Preservative Years after Worldwide Ban - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog (Beyond Pesticides, February 8, 2022) After nearly a century of use, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is officially cancelling the highly toxic wood preservative pentachlorophenol (penta). As one of the most dangerous pesticides ever produced, penta poses unacceptable risks to workers and surrounding communities, which often became superfund sites once manufacturing plants closed. According to the agency, “During the registration review process, EPA found that given the emergence of viable alternatives, the risks pentachlorophenol poses to workers’ health outweigh the benefits of its use.” Health and environmental advocates are pleased with the agency’s long overdue action on penta but remain incredulous that EPA has provided a generous phase-out for the utility and wood preservative industry, allowing use to continue for up to 5 years. Beyond Pesticides has been working to ban pentachlorophenol, creosote, and copper chromated arsenate since its founding in 1981. (See history of Beyond Pesticides’ work and litigation.) EPA’s statement on alternatives and workers’ health is a telling example for the public regarding the way in which the agency consistently places economic decisions above American’s safety. EPA has long known about the dangers penta poses to health, particularly the health of workers in penta production or treatment plants. […]

#EPA finally bans #pentachlorophenol, one of the most dangerous #pesticides ever made, but opts to give the #woodpreservative industry 5 more years to transition to other materials. #superfund #creosote #cancer #carcinogen #workerprotection #penta

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EPA Proposes Cancellation of Highly Toxic Wood Preservative Pentachlorophenol ("Penta") - Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog (Beyond Pesticides, March 9, 2021) Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an interim decision to cancel of one of the most hazardous pesticides still used in the United States, pentachlorophenol (penta). Although long overdue, health advocates are hailing the agency’s action, taken due to significant risks to human health, the availability of alternatives, and the uncertain future of penta production. Many advocates hope that EPA’s announcement is the start of a pivot to science-based decision-making in the best interest of health and the environment, not the pockets of pesticide industry executives. Cancellation of this toxic chemical will bring  the U.S. into conformance with the Stockholm Convention, an international treaty to ban persistent organic pollutants (POPs) joined by over 150 countries that was never ratified by the U.S. “This has been a long time coming,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides. “After decades of scientific reports, lawsuits, regulatory comments, and an international ban, we’re glad EPA finally acknowledged the intrinsic dangers posed by continuing penta’s registration. We urge the agency expedite its slow cancellation timeline so that we can finally eliminate this unnecessary pollutant.” Produced for its ability to preserve wood through pressure treatment, penta has been […]

Cancellation of toxic #pentachlorophenol (penta) will bring US into conformance with the Stockholm Convention, an international treaty to ban persistent organic pollutants (POPs) joined by over 150 countries that was never ratified by the US. #pesticides

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BREAKING (GOOD) NEWS! EPA Takes Action to Protect Public #Health by Proposing Cancellation of Pentachlorophenol. Read our recent article "#Environmental Racism Strikes SC Community with Siting of a #Pentachlorophenol Wood Preservative Plant" to learn more:

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