Court Rules U.S. Government Failed to Protect More Than 1,500 Endangered Species From Malathion Exposure
Source: Wire Service Canada
May 14, 2026
WASHINGTON — A U.S. federal court has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to adequately protect more than 1,500 endangered species from the harmful effects of the pesticide malathion, marking a significant legal setback for federal regulators and a major victory for environmental advocacy groups.
The ruling stems from a legal challenge brought by the Center for Biological Diversity against the agency’s 2022 biological opinion on malathion, an insecticide widely used in agriculture and mosquito control. In that assessment, the Service concluded that the pesticide did not create an extinction risk for any protected plant or wildlife species. The court rejected those findings, determining that the agency’s analysis was flawed and inconsistent with the requirements of the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
Environmental groups welcome ruling
Environmental organizations involved in the case said the decision could force regulators to adopt stronger protections for vulnerable species exposed to the pesticide.
“The court’s decision is a much-needed course correction for the Fish and Wildlife Service, which submitted to the pesticide industry’s demands and hung more than 1,500 endangered species out to dry,” said Lori Ann Burd, environmental health director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This decision will force the Service to figure out how to actually reduce harm to animals and plants from one of the worst neurotoxic pesticides on the market. That includes nearly every endangered butterfly, beetle and dragonfly we have.”
Read more: https://www.wireservice.ca/court-rules-u-s-government-failed-to-protect-more-than-1500-endangered-species-from-malathion-exposure/
Link to ORDER (PDF) - https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/jacqueline-scott-corley-order.pdf
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