"EWG Study: Schools at Risk From More Pesticide Use"

"The Environmental Working Group said Thursday there are nine elementary schools in Iowa that are within 200 feet of a corn or soybean field, a concern the green group highlighted as regulators consider whether to approve a controversial new herbicide.

The report from EWG found nearly 500 elementary schools across the United States are within 200 feet of these fields, with Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina. Iowa did not make the top 10 among states.

Dow AgroSciences has been working for more than a decade on its "Enlist Weed Control System" — a package that would allow the application of its Enlist Duo herbicide on its corn, soybean and cotton seeds, killing pesky weeds but saving the plants. The Dow seeds would act as a competitor to genetically modified products produced by agribusiness giant Monsanto."

Christopher Doering reports for Gannett August 14, 2014.