Conservation and public health groups have filed a legal notice to force the EPA to develop water-quality standards for atrazine, a cancer-linked pesticide found at dangerous levels in thousands of U.S. waterways.
- The notice follows a Trump administration review that found atrazine does not threaten endangered species, contradicting the EPA's 2021 findings. - Atrazine is banned in over 60 countries but is the second most widely used pesticide in the U.S., linked to birth defects, cancers, and fertility problems.
- The EPA's 2025 plan would only reduce contamination in 1% of affected watersheds, leaving much of the continental U.S. polluted.
The groups call for an outright ban, highlighting risks to farmworkers and communities.