Experts take issue with report on lower pesticides in NV groundwater

The study tested aquifers over three decades – checking Nevada’s Basin and Range aquifer, for example, in 1995, 2003 and 2016. In the most recent tests, five pesticides were found at moderate levels in 2% of the nation’s wells, compared to 7% in the 1990s.

However, Jay Feldman – executive director of the group Beyond Pesticides – said most of those pesticides have simply been replaced with new ones.

“The scope of the study is limited to 22 chemicals, many of which have been reduced in their individual uses,” said Feldman, “but we’ve shifted to other highly toxic chemicals.”

For example, common pesticides like Roundup that contain glyphosate, 2,4-D, dicamba, or paraquat were not part of the study. A 2009 report from the U.S. Geological Survey found that 182,000 people in Nevada get their drinking water from private wells, most commonly in rural areas.

The latest study also shows that one pesticide, called DBCP, has persisted for decades. Feldman argued that more research is needed to confirm pesticides are safe before they get approved.

“We don’t have all the answers that we should have before we put a chemical on the market,” said Feldman. “And the finding of DBCP, a chemical that was banned decades ago, is a testament to that problem.”

The agencies that monitor the nation’s water supply are facing an uncertain future. President Donald Trump’s budget request in May includes a 38% cut to the U.S. Geological Survey, and a more than 54% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Related: Many fear help for Nevada water conservation will dry up under Trump