BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Last week, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revoke all food tolerances and cancel all registrations for the pesticide chlorpyrifos within 60 days.

“Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely used insecticides both in North Dakota and around the world,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “This decision will have a big effect on producers.”

Chlorpyrifos is in common products such as Lorsban, Dursban, Cobalt and many others.

“We’re closely monitoring the situation to see if the decision is appealed,” Goehring said. “In the meantime, producers should consult with their local agronomists or chemical representatives to find an acceptable alternative to use instead of chlorpyrifos.”

Chlorpyrifos hasn’t been available for household use since 2000, but has remained on the market for commercial agriculture. Environmental groups petitioned the EPA and in Aug. 2015, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the EPA to make a decision on the agricultural use of chlorpyrifos. In April 2017, the EPA ruled that a broader ban was not warranted. Environmental groups sued and the court ruling last week reverses the EPA’s decision.