Four states sue EPA over pesticide residue levels in food

[Lindacooks]

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The attorneys general of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York sued the federal Environmental Protection Agency Monday, contending that it is allowing unacceptably high levels of pesticide residues in some foods favored by children.

The suit argues that the EPA is failing to adhere to the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act's mandate that since children's developing bodies are far more vulnerable than adults to harm from pesticides, the agency must account for the lower tolerances when approving pesticides for commercial use on foods.

The law mandates pesticide residue limits 10 times lower for children than for adults, a standard being ignored by the EPA in some cases, according to New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

"Sadly, the Environmental Protection Agency has failed to meet congressional requirements to protect children from the risks of consuming food with unhealthy pesticide residues," said Spitzer, the lead plaintiff in the case.

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http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--ags-pesticides0915sep15,0,4140452.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire