In signing this petition, I am urging the President to deny the EPA’s approval of the 2,4-D and glyphosate herbicide combination developed by Dow Chemical Company. This mix of chemical herbicides known as “Enlist Duo” would mean an additional hundred million pounds of chemicals will be used to produce corn and soybeans across the country, putting families, children and the environment’s health at risk. Communities living downwind of fields and thousands of schools within 200 feet of corn and soybean fields are at risk of inhaling the new “Enlist Duo” herbicide. Exposure to the chemical 2,4-D is linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, thyroid & reproductive problems, Parkinson’s disease and neurological damage. Do not allow the EPA to approve this highly toxic herbicide mix.
Response to Petition
Responding to Concerns About the EPA's Approval of Enlist Duo
Thank you for your participation on the We the People petition platform, and for speaking out on an issue that is of importance to you. The White House shares your commitment to protecting human health, especially the health of children and their families.
We understand that the use of pesticides on food crops can be concerning. That's why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviews the science on safety as part of its standard practice in the review of chemicals, including the Enlist Duo herbicide combination.
The EPA has determined that the herbicides used in the Enlist Duo are safe based on scientific evidence. We support science-based regulatory determinations, and it would be inappropriate for the White House to intervene in this science-based decision-making process by the EPA, as a 2009 Presidential Memorandum on scientific integrity makes clear.
For more information, please see details from the EPA below.
Thank you for your continued interest and participation.
From the EPA:
The Enlist Duo system makes use of two herbicides, 2,4-D and glyphosate, that are both already approved by the EPA for use in the United States and are among the most widely used herbicides in the world. While both herbicides have long been approved for use on corn and soybean fields before the seeds sprout, the new Enlist Duo system will enable the 2,4-D herbicide to be used on these crops when the plants are more mature.
EPA scientists evaluated the existing scientific research data and determined that there is no determinable link between the 2,4-D herbicide and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, thyroid and reproductive problems, or Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, the USDA has concluded that genetically modified corn and soybeans -- the other part of the Enlist Duo system -- pose no more environmental risk than crops that are not modified through genetic engineering. And there is no evidence that the engineered crops pose any greater risk to human health than non-engineered lines.
The EPA is an independent agency whose decisions are driven by the expert determinations reached by its teams of scientists and environmental protection specialists. EPA and USDA scientists determined that the Enlist Duo system is safe based on current scientific evidence.
Tell us what you think about this response and We the People.