This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The recent decision by Scott Pruitt, head of the EPA, to reverse a ban on chlorpyrifos should alarm every family in our state. The state of Utah has the third highest rate of children with autism in the country with estimates of 1 in 54 births resulting in a child with an autism diagnosis.
This toxic pesticide has been shown to have detrimental effects on the neurological development of infants and young children. Studies have shown that children exposed during pregnancy are five times more likely to be diagnosed with autism and six times more likely to have ADHD symptoms. The chemical was banned by the Obama administration but, following a meeting with officials from the DOW chemical company, Pruitt reversed the ban.
The health and well-being of our children is not, and should never be, a partisan issue. For the sake of our children, and our children's children, please write to Pruitt and encourage him to reconsider the ban on this toxic pesticide.
Douglas Goldsmith, Ph.D.
Millcreek