The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. May 16, 2017 California: Farmworkers Sickened by Toxic Chemical Approved by Scott Pruitt's EPA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Bakersfield, California, dozens of farmworkers are recovering after they were exposed to a highly toxic pesticide, the use of which was recently greenlighted by the EPA in one of the agency's first decisions since Trump took office. Last year, the EPA was on the verge of banning the Dow Chemical Company pesticide. But under EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, the agency unexpectedly reversed course and approved its use. Multiple studies have found the pesticide causes both immediate symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea and blurred vision, as well as long-term damage in children, such as developmental delays and higher rates of autism. .