Six U.S. state prosecutors are seeking to join a legal challenge to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision not to ban chlorpyrifos in food production despite studies showing it can have damaging effects on people. 

In October 2015 the EPA proposed to revoke all food residue tolerances for the active ingredient in many insecticides, in response to a petition from the Natural Resources Defense Council and Pesticide Action Network North America.

However, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt decided on March 29 not to ban the chemical.

Now, Democratic attorneys general for New York, Maryland, Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia have filed a motion to intervene in a case environmental groups brought before a federal appeals court in June, the LA Times reported.

The prosecutors reportedly allege Pruitt broke the law by ending the EPA's effort to ban the widely used pesticide sold by Dow Chemical Co, after scientists said it could interfere with children's brain development.

“Job No. 1 for the EPA should be protecting Americans' well-being, especially that of our children,” New York Attorney. Gen. Eric Schneiderman was quoted as saying by the LA Times in announcing the legal action.

“Yet the administration is jeopardizing our kids' health, allowing the use of a toxic pesticide for which it can't even identify a safe level.”

According to the LA Times, Pruitt last month told Congress that his decision not to ban the chemical was based on “meaningful data and meaningful science."

The decision was welcomed by the California Citrus Mutual (CCM), whose president Joel Nelsen said: “We believe that sound science should prevail in the regulation of crop protection tools."

The LA Times article also said Dow spent millions of dollars on lobbying each year, adding chief executive Andrew Liveris was a close advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump.

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