The Trump administration has determined atrazine poses no extinction risk to endangered species, clearing the way for its continued widespread use on U.S. crops. This finding, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, counters a 2021 EPA conclusion that the herbicide likely harmed over 1,000 protected species.

Farmers apply an average of 72 million pounds of atrazine annually on 75 million acres, mostly corn, sorghum, and sugar cane. The decision is a victory for agricultural lobbies like the Farm Bureau and National Corn Growers Association, who argued a ban would slash yields and raise food costs. Manufacturer Syngenta, owned by Chinese conglomerate Sinochem, did not comment.

Environmental and health advocates condemned the move, citing links to cancer, birth defects, and hormonal disruption in wildlife. The European Union banned atrazine in the early 2000s over groundwater concerns. The agency says minor generic changes like runoff buffers will protect species, a claim scientists dispute as insufficient given the chemical's pervasive water contamination.