Stop the Pesticide Industry’s Attack on our Communities

Every year, the pesticide industry — led by companies like Monsanto (now Bayer) — tries to undo YEARS of our hard fought victories to rein in our nation's pesticide addiction by taking away States' rights to create stronger pesticide protections than those offered by the federal government.

Now they are at it again, and this time, they're attacking on multiple fronts - both at the state and federal level. If allowed to continue, these efforts would protect pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits from those harmed by their products and severely limit the ability of states to implement pesticide use warnings stronger than those offered by the Federal Government — an authority that states have exercised for over fifty years. We need to immediately flood the EPA with comments to defeat this industry-backed effort.

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Message to EPA:

I am extremely concerned with the ramifications of this rulemaking petition if enacted. This petition is a clear pesticide industry-backed direct attack on the ability of local governments to protect their communities and residents. If adopted, this change would strip states of their right to protect their residents from pesticides based on their specific needs and concerns by limiting their authority to implement pesticide warnings or consumer protection laws.

States have long held the power to restrict the use of these pesticides above and beyond the federal government, and for good reason. Even pesticides approved for nationwide use are not uniformly used everywhere. Each farming region has its own needs, including unique climates and crops. Nearly 200 communities nationwide have implemented pesticide restrictions to address local issues like unique ecological conditions requiring stricter measures than federal standards, or to protect vulnerable populations near playgrounds and public spaces. State governments must continue to have the right to not only regulate the use of pesticides to protect their own communities, but also to warn pesticide users of potential health harms.

States similarly retain the power to protect their communities from harms caused by products, including the pesticide products that EPA regulates under FIFRA. If enacted, this change would also limit the ability of Americans impacted by pesticides to seek legal recourse for damages. The EPA has a responsibility to protect Americans from harmful pesticides, not to protect the pesticide industry from lawsuits by Americans harmed by their products.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this critical issue. I look forward to your support in protecting our environment and public health.

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