Sayonara Aldicarb; 25 Years Too Late?

From the better-late-than-never school of pesticide banishment, courtesy of the Environmental Health News earlier this week:

A farm chemical with an infamous history – causing the worst known outbreak of pesticide poisoning in North America – is being phased out under an agreement announced Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Manufacturer Bayer CropScience agreed to stop producing aldicarb, a highly toxic insecticide used to kill pests on cotton and several food crops, by 2015 in all world markets. Use on citrus and potatoes will be prohibited after next year.

Tuesday’s announcement comes 25 years after a highly publicized outbreak of aldicarb poisoning sickened more than 2,000 people who had eaten California watermelons.

How much money do we think Bayer CropScience spent fighting this one?

Click here to read the entire story and to get a better understanding as to why the banning process is so drawn out.