No Time for Termites

For years the pesticide containing chlordane and heptachlor has been the nation's No. 1 termite killer. Last week the Environmental Protection Agency announced that Illinois-based Velsicol Chemical Corp., the sole manufacturer of the chemical cousins, had agreed to stop production. The company disputed that exposure to the pesticide, which has been linked to increased risk of cancer, is a health hazard. But Velsicol said it would stop making the compound, which under the brand name Termide is used in about 1 million U.S. homes each year, until the EPA is satisfied that it can safely be applied.

Meanwhile, environmental groups protested the EPA move. Reason: distributors and pest-control companies can still sell or use the two-month supply of the pesticide they have in stock. Snapped Cynthia Wilson, director of the Washington-based Friends of the Earth: "It's a travesty."