The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 13 reversed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of the antibiotic streptomycin as a pesticide on citrus crops.
The court determined the EPA’s 2021 decision to allow spraying of streptomycin on citrus crops across the country to be unlawful under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and the Endangered Species Act. It also held that the seriousness of the EPA’s errors required it to vacate approval of the pesticide. The decision directs the EPA to bolster its analysis of the potential risks to pollinators and assess whether streptomycin is actually effective for one of its approved uses.
Read the full article on citrusindustry.net.