Washington and five other states are suing the the Environmental Protection Agency to ban a pesticide linked to brain damage in fetuses and small children.

The pesticide, chlorpyrifos, is widely used in Washington’s apple and pear orchards.

The lawsuit challenges the EPA’s decision in July not to restrict agricultural uses of chlorpyrifos. (The pesticide was phased out of household use in 2000 because of concerns about its health effects.)

Farm worker advocates have also launched a similar lawsuit.

But Washington lawmakers have been quiet on the issue.

“The next logical step is looking to run a bill in the upcoming session to ban this chemical,” said Erik Nicholson, the Tacoma-based national vice president of United Farm Workers. United Farm Workers is one of the groups suing the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos.