The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last week it is taking action to ban usage of the insecticide endosulfan.

"New data ... have shown that risks faced by workers are greater than previously known," according to an EPA press release.

The organochlorin, sold under the brand name Thioxan, is registered for use on several crops, including vegetables, berries, ornamentals and Christmas trees.

It is used to control a broad spectrum of insect pests such as whitefly, aphids, leafhoppers and cabbage worms.

Crops with the highest use in the U.S. include tomatoes, cucurbits, potatoes, apples and cotton.

The EPA did not issue a time line for the phaseout, according to Steve Riley, a pesticide registration specialist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture. According to the EPA release, the federal agency is in discussions with the pesticide's manufacturer, Makhteshim Agan of North America, to voluntarily terminate all uses.

--Mitch Lies