U.S. battles international ban on toxin used on utility poles that Health and Human Services calls a “carcinogen” and state lawmakers seek to eliminate in New York

Press release:(Rome) The U.S. government is opposing international efforts to halt the global use of a toxic chemical, pentachlorophenol (PCP), used in the U.S. on wood utility poles, at the same time as a bipartisan group of New York state lawmakers are seeking a state ban, and a lawsuit, filed by a group of Long Island residents, charges that hundreds of new PCP-treated utility poles are causing serious injury to health and property values. This month, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services added PCP to its carcinogen list, saying that PCP is “reasonably anticipated to cause cancer”.

The U.S. is the largest producer and user of PCP in the world.

Read the entire press release from IPEN, ACAT, Beyond Pesticides and Long Island Businesses for Responsible Energy.