"A US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plan to reduce the amount of atrazine running off into US rivers, lakes and streams would leave 99% of watersheds contaminated at levels that exceed the agency’s threshold for harm to plants, fish and other species, according to a new study.
The study by the Center for Biological Diversity, published Tuesday in the Journal of Environmental Quality, finds that an EPA strategy to clean up atrazine — a cancer-linked pesticide banned in more than 60 countries around the world — will barely make a dent in the pesticide’s widespread pollution, which has plagued waterways in US farming states for decades.
The study comes on the heels of a separate Center for Biological Diversity report last month that found atrazine contaminates an estimated 25% of river and stream miles in the lower 48 US states, including many waterways used for drinking water.
The researchers say the federal cleanup plan will leave fish and other aquatic life — as well as humans — at continued risk of health problems due to atrazine exposure."
