EPA sued in quest to ban toxic flea control products

The National Resources Defense Council on Jan. 5 filed a federal lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging the agency’s decision to allow the continued use of a toxic pesticide — tetrachlorvinphos — in flea-control products used on pets.

Pesticides like TCVP can harm pets, as well as children’s brains and nervous systems and the EPA already has restricted household use of TCVP’s chemical cousins in the class of pesticides called organophosphates, according to the NRDC. However, the EPA allows neurotoxic TCVP to be used in flea collars for dogs and cats.

“Over five years have passed since we first urged EPA to get these toxic chemical collars off the market for good, but the agency continues to fall back on faulty assessments that don’t reflect the true vulnerability of children,” said NRDC senior scientist Miriam Rotkin-Ellman. “Science shows, time and again, that brain and nervous system-damaging chemicals like TCVP are too harmful to have in our homes, on our pets and around our children.

“NRDC’s lawsuit simply asks the court to send EPA back to do the job it should have done long ago – remove neurotoxic TCVP from our store shelves permanently. EPA’s blatant disregard for protecting our children’s health from toxic flea collars is irresponsible and unacceptable.”

For now, the organization encourages consumers with pets to follow the Green Paws guide for safer options.