WASHINGTON – A group of 137 House lawmakers is urging leaders in Congress and the House Agriculture Committee to reject any legislation that would limit longstanding state and local pesticide safety rules.
The lawmakers, led by Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), sent a letter on January 28 warning that any restriction on pesticide rules would block states’ laws, including those intended to warn parents and protect children at schools near where pesticides are sprayed.
The letter signals strong opposition to any bill that would impede the pesticide safety ordinances that help protect communities from potential health harms.
Congress is preparing to deliberate the next farm bill as early as February, as well as future spending bills. The letter’s signatories urge fellow lawmakers to preserve state and local governments’ right to decide which pesticide limits best suit their needs.
The letter underscores the significant pesticide oversight role granted to states and localities by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The law establishes the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority over pesticides in the U.S. But the law also gives state and local governments the power to enact additional pesticide measures.
The following is a statement from Geoff Horsfield, legislative director at the Environmental Working Group, who helped organize the letter:
Limiting state and local authorities would effectively shut the door on state protections from toxic pesticides. It would be particularly harmful for kids, who are more susceptible to the potential health risks. No parent wants to wonder whether there are pesticide residues on the school playground.
Many states, cities and counties have adopted legal standards to restrict pesticide spraying near schools, citing the risks the chemicals pose to children, whose bodies and brains are still developing. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children are especially susceptible to potential pesticide-related health problems, such as neurological and behavioral development, hormone disruption and cancer.
More than 40 states – including Georgia, North Carolina, New York, Illinois and Texas – have set tough standards for how and when pesticides can be sprayed near schools.
Pesticide industry proposals
Pesticide companies, including Bayer’s Monsanto, support legislative proposals to block state and local pesticide rules. These companies are trying to boost pesticide sales and limit court judgments that have favored people unknowingly harmed by pesticide use.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) has repeatedly said one of his priorities is to act on behalf of these large, foreign chemical companies.
Thompson should instead listen to farmers, parents and communities when they warn how exposure to pesticides can harm them.
Congress has delayed passing a farm bill for over three years. To pass a bill that protects farmers and rural communities, Congress needs to drop any controversial language that would block state and local pesticide limits.
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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
