Endangered Species at Risk as Trump Administration Approves Continued Use of Toxic Atrazine Pesticide

The Trump administration has approved the continued use of the pesticide atrazine after a federal wildlife review concluded it does not pose an extinction risk to endangered animals and plants in the United States. The decision, released by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, has drawn criticism from environmental groups, which argue that the chemical remains dangerous to wildlife, water supplies and human health.

The review was completed after a legal challenge brought by the Center for Biological Diversity. Officials said current safety measures are enough to stop atrazine from pushing protected species towards extinction. That decision now clears another major step for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to continue allowing the pesticide to be used across American farms.

Atrazine has been banned in more than 60 countries but remains one of the most commonly used pesticides in the United States. It is mainly sprayed on corn crops and is used in large quantities each year in industrial farming.

Environmental groups say the latest ruling ignores years of scientific concern about the chemical and its effects on rivers, lakes and wildlife habitats.

Review Conflicts With Earlier Federal Warnings

The new atrazine review goes against what the Environmental Protection Agency said in 2021. Back then, the EPA warned that the pesticide could harm more than 1,000 protected animal and plant species across the United States.

Environmental groups say the Trump administration is now downplaying those risks instead of taking stronger action. Nathan Donley from the Center for Biological Diversity accused officials of protecting pesticide industry interests rather than wildlife and public health.

'The science shows that atrazine should be banned here, just as it has been in dozens of other countries,' Donley said. He warned that the chemical could continue polluting rivers, lakes and farmland for many years.

Studies have linked atrazine to birth defects, fertility issues and several types of cancer. In 2025, the World Health Organization's cancer research agency classified it as 'probably carcinogenic to humans,' meaning it could potentially cause cancer.

Critics say it is difficult to understand why atrazine is still heavily used in the US when many countries have already banned it. The disagreement has also highlighted differences in how chemical safety is reviewed.

The World Health Organization only uses studies that independent scientists can publicly examine. Environmental campaigners argue that US regulators often rely too much on studies produced by pesticide companies themselves.

Another major concern is how widely atrazine spreads through water systems. The EPA had earlier proposed plans to reduce pollution in more than 11,000 watersheds where atrazine levels were considered unsafe. However, a separate analysis claimed those measures would only improve around 1% of affected areas.

That means large parts of the United States could still have atrazine contamination above safety levels set by the EPA.

Atrazine is mainly used on corn crops, although much of that corn is later used for ethanol fuel or livestock feed rather than food for people.

Environmental groups argue that the chemical has become deeply tied to large-scale industrial farming. Supporters of atrazine, however, say it remains important for farming and believe current safety rules are enough to reduce environmental damage.

The ruling also follows another recent court decision involving a different pesticide called malathion. In that case, judges ruled that government protections for endangered species were not strong enough.

Despite growing criticism from environmental and health groups, the Trump administration has not indicated that it plans to ban or heavily restrict atrazine any time soon.