EPA ordered an immediate halt Tuesday to the use of the weedkiller Dacthal, citing serious health risks to fetuses whose mothers are exposed.
The order suspends all uses of Dacthal, sometimes known as DCPA, including in agricultural settings where the manufacturer, AMVAC Chemical, had proposed measures to make unsafe exposure less likely.
Farmers use DCPA, or dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, on broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, among other crops. It’s also been used in nonagricultural settings; AMVAC voluntarily ended most uses on turf grass in 2023.
The emergency order is the first in almost 40 years, EPA said. It’s to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, and a formal notice of intent to cancel the chemical’s registrations will follow within 90 days, the agency said.
