Archive for the 'Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)' Category
29
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 29, 2020) Farmworkers and landscapers are deemed essential employees during the coronavirus outbreak, but without mandated safety protocols or government assistance, have experienced an explosion in Covid-19 cases. Workers in these industries are primarily Latinx people of color, many of whom are undocumented. According to a report published by the University of California Los Angeles, Latinx Californians aged 50 to 64 have died from the virus at rate five times higher than white people of the same age. The poor working conditions farmworkers and landscapers are subject to already put them at disproportionate risk of pesticide-induced diseases. Alongside other hardships such preexisting health problems, family obligations, cramped housing and transportation, threat of deportation, and communication difficulties, the risks of these essential workers contracting and dying from Covid-19 are compounded exponentially. The PBS Frontline documentary âHidden Tollâ follows the experiences of many California farmworkers, and how their daily struggle has been exacerbated as a result of the virus. One worker profiled, Sinthia Hernandez, has both diabetes and cancer but must continue to go to work to support her family. âIn these times, itâs necessity that makes us work despite the fear we have,â Hernandex told Frontline. Despite the […]
Posted in Agriculture, coronavirus, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Uncategorized | No Comments »
17
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 17, 2020) Researchers have discovered that the rivers and creeks that discharge into the lagoon of the Great Barrier Reef are riddled with mixtures of pesticides. The University of Queensland team expected to find some such mixtures in their sampling, but was shocked to find that 99.8% of their samples contained up to 20 different pesticides. Michael Warne, PhD, lead researcher and associate professor at the University of Queenslandâs School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, says, âThe issue with having mixtures of pesticides is that as the number of pesticides increases the impact to aquatic ecosystems generally increases.â Beyond Pesticides has covered waterway pesticide contamination in Europe and the U.S. The organization has long advocated for protective federal regulation that considers potential synergistic and additive threats, to ecosystems and organisms, from admixtures of pesticides â whether in formulated products, or âde factoâ in the environment, as this study addresses. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Lagoon is the open water of the Coral sea that lies between the reef and the Queensland, Australia coast. The GBR is the world’s largest coral reef system, comprising more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, and extending across an area of approximately 133,000 square miles. It […]
Posted in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), International, Uncategorized, Water | No Comments »
01
Jul
(Beyond Pesticides, July 1, 2020) As the U.S. is subject to searing criticism for inadequately regulated hazardous pesticides domestically, administration officials are standing in the way as other countries’ work toward modest reforms. According to a report published in Reuters, the U.S. is standing alongside the corrupt Bolsonaro administration in Brazil to oppose Thailandâs efforts to protect its citizens from highly toxic pesticides used in food production. Both countries launched separate complaints to the World Trade Organization after Thailand announced it would ban imports of the brain-damaging insecticide chlorpyrifos and weedkiller paraquat, which has been strongly linked to Parkinsonâs disease. On June 1, Thailand added paraquat and chlorpyrifos to its list of most hazardous substances. This listing initiated a follow-on regulation that banned the import of these substances on food, set to take effect in mid-July. Thailand has been feeling the brunt of U.S. diplomatic pressure since it first proposed restrictions on toxic chemicals late last year. By December, the U.S. was able to get Bangkok to remove glyphosate from its proposal, and delay the listing of paraquat and chlorpyrifos until June. But as the current situation shows, the U.S. had no plans to stop pressuring the Bangkok government after […]
Posted in Agriculture, Chlorpyrifos, Dow Chemical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Glyphosate, International, Paraquat, Uncategorized | No Comments »
29
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 29, 2020) Bayer’s Monsanto is requesting non-regulated status for corn that will increase the use of drift-prone and toxic herbicides. This means that the planting of a new genetically engineered (GE) variety of corn, which requires substantial weed killer use, will not be restricted in any way. The syndrome of ‘more-corn, more-pesticides, more-poisoning, more-contamination’ must stopâas we effect an urgent systemic transformation to productive and profitable organic production practices. Because USDA is proposing to allow a new herbicide-dependent crop under the Plant Protection Act, the agency must, but does not, consider the adverse impacts associated with the production practices on other plants and the effects on the soil in which they are grown. Business as usual is not an option for a livable future. Sign the petition. Tell USDA we don’t need more use of 2,4-D, Dicamba, and other toxic herbicides associated with the planting of new GE corn. Bayer-Monsanto has developed multi-herbicide tolerant MON 87429 maize, which is tolerant to the herbicides 2,4-D, dicamba, glyphosate, glufosinate, and aryloxyphenoxypropionate (AOPP) acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors (so-called âFOPâ herbicides, such as quizalofop). Now the company wants this corn to be deregulatedâallowing it to be planted and the herbicides […]
Posted in 2,4-D, Agriculture, Bayer, Dicamba, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Monsanto, Take Action, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Wildlife/Endangered Sp. | 1 Comment »
26
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 26, 2020) A court decision in California, challenging a cancer warning on products containing the weed killer glyphosate, highlights the distinct ways in which scientific findings are applied under regulatory standards, in toxic tort cases evaluated by juries, and by consumers in the marketplace. These differences came into focus as a U.S. court quashed Californiaâs decision to require cancer warning labels on glyphosate products on June 22. The ruling, by Judge William Shubb of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, bars the state from requiring labeling that warns of potential carcinogenicity on such herbicides. The World Health Organizationâs International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2015 classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. At this point, Monsanto began a worldwide campaign to challenge glyphosateâs cancer classification. The IARC finding spurred the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, in the same year, to announce that glyphosate would be listed as a probable cancer-causing chemical under Californiaâs Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65). With that announcement came another: the state would mandate that cancer warning labels be applied to glyphosate-based products in the state when any of four […]
Posted in Agriculture, Bayer, California, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Glyphosate, Litigation, Monsanto, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
17
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 17, 2020) The June 3 decision in a high-profile âdicamba caseâ â against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and for the plaintiffs, a coalition of conservation groups â was huge news in environmental advocacy, agriculture, and agrochemical circles. The federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated EPAâs 2018 conditional registration of three dicamba weed killer products for use on an estimated 60 million acres of DT (dicamba-tolerant through genetic modification/engineering) soybeans and cotton. There is, however, a related issue that accompanies this and many other pesticide cases. When EPA decides to cancel or otherwise proscribe use of a pesticide (usually as a result of its demonstrated toxicity and/or damage during litigation), the agency will often allow pesticide manufacturers to continue to sell off âexisting stocksâ of a pesticide, or growers and applicators to continue to use whatever stock they have or can procure. Beyond Pesticides has opposed, covered, and litigated against this practice. To greenlight predictable harm is a violation of any recognized moral code, never mind of the agencyâs mission â âto protect human health and the environment.â According to Beyond Pesticides, EPA should never permit continued use of a dangerous pesticide once that compoundâs […]
Posted in Agriculture, Dicamba, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Regulation, Resistance, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
16
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 15, 2020) A dog owner in southern Florida is warning other owners about the safety of flea and tick medication after his dog suffered a seizure and lost mobility in her back legs. As reported by CBS WINK, owner Joe Brewster switched to the product PetArmor Plus for Dogs, manufactured by Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Inc., just three days before his dog, Buddha, suffered a seizure. âThey asked me if I changed flea and tick medication,â Mr. Brewster told WINK news. âAnd I thought for a minute, and I go, âYeah, three days before.ââ Although the type of event experienced by Buddha was characterized by veterinarians and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as rare, the onset of neurological problems is a serious issue that could be indicative of future health impacts on pet owners. According to a recent study, dogs can act as sentinel species for chemical-induced human diseases. Wendy Mandese, PhD, a veterinarian and professor at the University of Florida told reporters, âWe may see an animal that has an issue one or two times a year.â However, EPA told WINK news that over the last decade, it received over 1,300 reports of pesticide incidents involving […]
Posted in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fipronil, Methoprene, Pets, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
12
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 12, 2020) New research finds that western monarch milkweed habitat contains a âubiquity of pesticidesâ that are likely contributing to the decline of the iconic species. The research, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, provides a grim snapshot of a world awash in pesticides, and raises new questions about the U.S. regulatory process that continues to allow these toxic chemicals on to the market without adequate review and oversight. “We expected to find some pesticides in these plants, but we were rather surprised by the depth and extent of the contamination,” said Matt Forister, PhD, a butterfly expert, biology professor at the University of Nevada, Reno and co-author of the paper in a press release. “From roadsides, from yards, from wildlife refuges, even from plants bought at storesâdoesn’t matter from whereâit’s all loaded with chemicals. We have previously suggested that pesticides are involved in the decline of low elevation butterflies in California, but the ubiquity and diversity of pesticides we found in these milkweeds was a surprise,” Dr. Forister said. The researchers collected over 200 milkweed samples from nearly 20 different sites across the Central Valley of California, as well as from retailers that sell milkweed […]
Posted in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Habitat Protection, neonicotinoids, Pollinators, Uncategorized | No Comments »
10
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 9, 2020) Use of the weed killer dicamba on genetically engineered (GE) cotton and soybeans is now prohibited after a federal court ruling against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week. A coalition of conservation groups filed suit in 2018 after EPA renewed a conditional registration for dicambaâs âover the topâ (OTT) use on GE cotton and soy developed to tolerate repeated sprayings of the herbicide. “For the thousands of farmers whose fields were damaged or destroyed by dicamba drift despite our warnings, the National Family Farm Coalition is pleased with today’s ruling,” said National Family Farm Coalition president Jim Goodman in a press release. First registered in the late 1960s, dicamba has been linked to cancer, reproductive effects, neurotoxicity, birth defects, and kidney and liver damage. It is also toxic to birds, fish and other aquatic organisms, and known to leach into waterways after an application. It is a notoriously drift-prone herbicide. Studies and court filings show dicamba able to drift well over a mile off-site after an application. Bayerâs Monsanto thought they could solve this problem. The âRoundup Readyâ GE agricultural model the company developed, with crops engineered to tolerate recurrent applications of their […]
Posted in Agriculture, BASF, Bayer, Dicamba, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Litigation, Monsanto, Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
08
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 9, 2020) EPA has received applications from the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia for the âemergencyâ use of the bee-toxic neonicotinoid insecticide dinotefuran to control brown marmorated stinkbugs in pome and stone fruits. These three states (and others) have received emergency exemptions for this use for the nine previous years and it must not be allowed for a tenth year. Rather than skirt the regulatory process of review, this use pattern must be subject to EPA registration review in combination with all other neonicotinoid uses. Sign the Petition to EPA and Send a Letter to Your Congressional Representative and Senators: EPA Must Deny Routine âEmergencyâ Exemptions As a neocotinoid insecticide, dinotefuran presents an alarming hazard to bees and other pollinators. Like other neonicotinoids, it is systemic and can indiscriminately poison any insects feeding on nectar, pollen, or exudates. It is also highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates and soil organisms, as well as being highly persistent. In addition to the serious ecological impacts, dinotefuran is toxic to the immune system. This is, of course, an effect that should avoided during the coronavirus pandemicâwhen the immune system is under attack. Section 18 of the federal pesticide law (FIFRAâFederal Insecticide, Fungicide, […]
Posted in Agriculture, dinotefuron, Emergency Exemption, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), neonicotinoids, Pollinators, Take Action, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
04
Jun
 (Beyond Pesticides, June 4, 2020) A new, simultaneous chemical identification method has found the presence of the weed killer atrazine and 200+ other hazardous chemicals in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) wastewater or produced water, according to collaborative research published in the Journal of Separation Science by scientists at the University of Toledo (UToledo) and the University of Texas at Arlington. Although produced water is a waste product of fracking, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows many states to reuse produced water in agriculture and other industries or dispose of it into waterways. There is serious concern about the safety of produced water and it being a widespread source of pollution. Current disposal and purification practices do not guarantee environmental pollutantâs removal from produced water. This research, âOptimization of thin film solid phase microextraction and data deconvolution methods for accurate characterization of organic compounds in produced water,â highlights the need for comprehensive chemical composition assessment of produced water, whether for reuse or disposal. Currently, EPA waives requirements that chemical companies (e.g., Syngenta in the case of atrazine) monitor for the presence of pesticides in waterways, endangering public health of the environment. Because produced water, whether treated or not, is typically not void of toxic […]
Posted in Agriculture, Atrazine, Chemicals, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fracking, Litigation, State/Local, Toxic Waste, Uncategorized, Water | No Comments »
03
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 3, 2020) While wearing a mask is an important practice to help reduce the chance of Covid-19 infection, a mask produced with pesticide-laden material for Tennessee residents has been identified as elevating the virusâ health risks. The state of Tennessee began last week and then stopped this week providing residents with free face masks made from sock fabric incorporated with antimicrobial silver pesticide. The investigative unit of NewsChannel 5 Nashville uncovered that the masks contain a toxic antimicrobial pesticide. Because of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyâs (EPA) interpretation of federal pesticide law, textiles and other materials, typically plastics, infused with toxic antimicrobial substances are not evaluated by the agency for the wide range of exposure patterns associated with the use of these toxic products. In addition, the silver product in the sock material, Silvadur 930 Flex, states on its label that over 99% of product ingredients are âother ingredientsâ and provides no disclosure on their potential hazards. Beyond Pesticidesâ board member Warren Porter, PhD, environmental toxicology professor at University of Wisconsin at Madison, in an interview with NewsChannel 5, assessed the situation bluntly. Dr. Porter told reporters over a Zoom interview, âI wouldnât wear one,â after explaining […]
Posted in Antimicrobial, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Tennessee, Uncategorized | No Comments »
01
Jun
(Beyond Pesticides, June 1, 2020)Â The President issued another executive order, on May 7, that continues his administrationâs dissembling on matters that affect the well-being of everyday Americans. This EO (executive order) purports to âpromote American seafood competitiveness and economic growth.â The reality, as the Center for American Progress reports, is that the âbulk of the Trump administrationâs new executive order sets up a structure for permitting of offshore aquaculture in federal waters with short timelines and few environmental safeguards.â This EO will further erode regulations that have governed the operation of so-called âfish farms,â and open enormous marine areas to exploitation by this industry. Beyond Pesticides has argued for more-protective regulation of the aquaculture industry, considering the variety of pesticides and chemical inputs it uses, and the impacts on local ecosystems. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines aquaculture as any âfarming of aquatic organisms, including baitfish, crustaceans, food fish, mollusks, ornamental fish, sport or game fish, and other aquaculture products. Farming involves some form of intervention in the rearing process, such as seeding, stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc. Fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic products caught or harvested by the public from non-controlled waters or beds are considered […]
Posted in Aquaculture, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fish, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Uncategorized, US Department of Agriculture (USDA) | No Comments »
29
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 29, 2020) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)âs Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released a report highlighting employee discontent with scientific integrity (SI) within the agency. While the number of official complaints about scientific integrity have been fairly minimal over the 8 years that the 2012 policy has been in placeâonly 85 complaints were filedâthe new survey found 400 EPA employees had experienced, but did not report, potential violations of EPAâs scientific integrity policy. Further, according to OIGâs findings, dissatisfaction regarding scientific integrity abounds within the agency. EPAâs 2012 Scientific Integrity (SI) Policy was instated to âensure scientific integrity throughout EPA and promote scientific and ethical standards, including quality standards; communications with the public; the use of peer review and advisory committees; and professional development.â EPAâs policy defines scientific integrity as âthe adherence to professional values and practices when conducting, supervising, communicating and utilizing the results of science and scholarship.â OIGâs performance audit took place from September 2018 to February 2019 and included a survey given between November and December of 2018. OIGâs report states, âThe survey was structured to examine (1) awareness of and familiarity with the SI Policy, (2) experience with the four focus […]
Posted in Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Uncategorized | No Comments »
21
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 21, 2020) Use of the herbicide dicamba increases humans’ risk of various acute and chronic cancers, according to research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Many pesticides are âknown or probableâ carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), and their widespread use only amplifies chemical hazards, adversely affecting human health. However, past research lacks comprehensive information regarding human health effects associated with long-term pesticide use. This study highlights the significant role that long-term research plays in identifying potential health concerns surrounding registered pesticides, especially as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to reaffirm its decision to allow dicamba use on genetically engineered (GE) crops. Nathan Donley, Ph.D., a scientist with the environmental health program at the Center for Biological Diversity, comments: âThis sweeping study exposes the terrible human cost of the EPAâs reckless decision to expand the use of dicamba. [âŚ]For the EPA to approve widespread use of this poison across much of the country without assuring its safety to people and the environment is an absolute indictment of the agencyâs persistent practice of rubber-stamping dangerous pesticides.â Dicambaâa benzoic acid chemical that controls broadleaf weedsâis one of the most widely applied herbicides in corn production. As a result of weed resistant to […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Antibiotic Resistance, Cancer, Dicamba, Disease/Health Effects, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Genetic Engineering, Pesticide Drift, Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Residues, Resistance, synergistic effects, Uncategorized | No Comments »
19
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 19, 2020) The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is taking public comments on a proposal to establish statewide comparable-to-organic standards for cannabis production. Although cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, and thus cannot be labeled with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic seal, there is no prohibition on a state-specific program that follows federal organic requirements, but does not use the word âorganic.â While such a program has the potential to provide another level of protection for medical patients, questions and concerns remain over the allowance of certain products, and the impact the certifying scheme may have on the future trajectory of the cannabis production industry. Under the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation Safety Act, passed in 2017 after the success of Proposition 64 by California voters, state agencies were tasked with establishing a state-level program to certify cannabis to the standards set out by USDAâs National Organic Program (NOP). CDFA is required to finalize this program for cannabis production by the start of 2021, while the California Department of Public Health will create a separate program to certify manufactured cannabis products. As outlined by CFDA, cannabis would be certified through third-party […]
Posted in Alternatives/Organics, California, Cannabis, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Organic Standards Board/National Organic Program, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
13
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 13, 2020) A pilot study at New York University (NYU) provides evidence of a direct relationship between increased risk for celiac disease (adverse immune response to eating gluten) and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including DDE â a metabolite of the infamous, bird-killing pesticide DDT. Researchers at NYU set out to elucidate the connection between the autoimmune disease and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), also known as âforever chemicalsâ or “legacy chemicals” due to their persistence in nature and the human body. The new research, published in Environmental Science, highlights higher odds for celiac disease among participants with elevated POPs exposure and differing results among male and female participants. Considering the complexity of these initial results, researcher Leonardo Trasande, Ph.D. says, âItâs not as if these chemicals were designed with the human body in mind; These chemicals were designed with materials in mind.â [See video overview here] Celiac disease produces an immune-mediated inflammatory response to the consumption of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Risk for celiac disease has long been associated with genetic factors, but increased prevalence of the disease inspired further research. Considering previous studies on the deleterious impact of POPs on the immune […]
Posted in Celiac Disease, DDT, Endocrine Disruption, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Uncategorized | No Comments »
11
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 11, 2020) Protecting ourselves from Covid-19 requires not only that we avoid contact with the virus, but also that we avoid exposing ourselves to chemicals that may disrupt our immune or respiratory systems. But when it comes to pesticide productsâand disinfectants are pesticidesâwe encounter once again the problem of so-called âinert,â or nondisclosed, ingredients. Tell EPA and Congress that ALL Ingredients in Pesticides Must Be Disclosed. âInertâ ingredients are not necessarily chemically or biologically harmless. âInertâ or âotherâ ingredientsâas distinguished from âactiveâ ingredientsâare generally the majority of the product formulation that makes up the liquid, spray, dust, or granule, but does not specifically attack the pest, according to the manufacturer. They include emulsifiers, solvents, carriers, aerosol propellants, fragrances, and dyes. Many âinertsâ are quite toxic, and may be âactiveâ ingredients in other products. âInertâ ingredients may also be described as âadjuvantsâ or âformulants.â âInertsâ are typically not listed on the label, and hence are often called âsecret ingredients.â Beyond Pesticides reviews the disinfectants on EPA’s List N, which are approved for use against the novel coronavirus, but it is only possible to review the active ingredients. One product on the list, for example, contains 99.7784% âother ingredients.â Unfortunately, although this product may […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Disinfectants & Sanitizers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Inerts, Take Action, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
07
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 7, 2020) On April 22, 2020, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals granted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 90 days to respond to Natural Resources Defense Councilâs (NRDC) petition requesting cancellation of tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP), a toxic organophosphate pesticide in pet products. The order followed the Ninth Circuitâs decision to grant NRDCâs petition for a writ of mandamus (a courtâs order requiring a lower court or public authority to perform its statutory duty) as EPA withheld action to fulfill NRDCâs judicial review of TCVP, for over a decade. A favorable ruling on NRDCâs mandamus petition can influence other petitioners that hope to coerce agency action, especially when public health is at risk. The court states, âRepeatedly, the EPA has kicked the can down the road and betrayed its prior assurances of timely action, even as it has acknowledged that the pesticide poses widespread, serious risks to the neurodevelopmental health of children.â NRDC petitioned EPA to cancel TCVP pesticide registration under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) in April 2009, after studies indicated humans absorb TCVP through contact with pesticide-treated pet products. EPA failed to respond to the initial petition after five years, and NRDC filed a 2014 mandamus requiring […]
Posted in Brain Effects, Cancer, Children, contamination, Disease/Health Effects, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Household Use, Integrated and Organic Pest Management, Litigation, Mosquitoes, Nervous System Effects, Pesticide Regulation, Pests, Pets, Tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP), Ticks, Uncategorized | No Comments »
06
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 6, 2020) The Trump Administration announced late last month that it is waiving a requirement that multinational chemical company Syngenta-Chemchina continue to monitor Midwest waterways for the presence of the weedkiller atrazine throughout 2020. While rationalized by the Administration as âdue to the unanticipated impact of Covid-19,â the move will instead put residents health at increased risk. Atrazine is one of 78 pesticides that has been linked to the development of respiratory ailments like wheeze. âThe public will now have no idea whether dangerous levels of atrazine are reaching rivers and streams throughout the Midwest. Thatâs absurd and reckless,â said Nathan Donley, PhD a senior scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity. âSyngenta should suspend the sale and use of this extremely toxic pesticide until it can safely ensure itâs not polluting Corn Belt waterways.â Syngenta, which merged with state-owned China Nation Chemical Corporation (Chemchina) in 2016, has been bound by EPA to monitor Midwestern waterways since a 2004 review by the agency. This is because atrazine is a potent groundwater contaminant. Just two years ago, an analysis by the Environmental Working Group found atrazine to be exceeding legal limits in drinking water for many Midwestern states. […]
Posted in Aquatic Organisms, Atrazine, contamination, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Agencies, Pesticide Regulation, Syngenta, Uncategorized, Water, Water Regulation | No Comments »
04
May
(Beyond Pesticides, May 4, 2020) Exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act allow children to work unlimited hours in agriculture at the age of 12 and allow child farmworkers to perform hazardous work at the age of 16. These exemptions apply only to farm labor and are significantly less stringent than law applying to other sectors. U.S. Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard of California has reintroduced H.R. 3394, the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety (CARE) to correct these inconsistencies, which harm farmworker children. Tell your Congressional Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 3394. Thank those who are co-sponsors of the bill. Currently, children ages 12-13 may not be employed outside the home in non-agriculture labor, but may work in agriculture outside of school hours. Children ages 14-15 may work in non-agriculture only with strict limitations on time of day and hours per week, but may work in agriculture outside of school hours without any restrictions. The minimum age for hazardous work in agriculture, such as pesticide handling, is 16, but is 18 for non-farm labor. H.R. will make the restrictions for agriculture child labor consistent with non-agriculture labor. The bill does not apply to the sons and daughters of farmers working on their family farm. The worker protection […]
Posted in Agriculture, Children, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »
24
Apr
(Beyond Pesticides, April 24, 2020)Â The Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) has released a study showing a sharp increaseâ62% in some casesâin calls to poison hotlines about exposures to toxic household cleaners and disinfectants. This poisoning comes with the advent of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, as public health and government officials, and many media outlets have sensibly recommended that people regularly disinfect âhigh touchâ surfaces and objects in their homes and other surroundings, but have not issued warnings on toxic effects nor the availability of lower toxicity or least-toxic products. Compliance with cleaning (sanitizers) and disinfection recommendations is an important public and personal health undertaking, but in this Covid-19 rigor lies a poison problem: the toxicity, as Beyond Pesticides has explained, of some cleaning and disinfecting products that are permitted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for sale and use. There are safer ways to disinfect those light switches, TV remotes, doorknobs, faucets, etc. First, a basic distinction between cleaning (also called sanitizing)and disinfecting: EPA offers definitions of the differences. âCleaning is done with water, a cleaning product, and scrubbing. Cleaning does not kill bacteria, viruses, or fungi, which are generally referred to as âgerms.â Cleaning products are used […]
Posted in Antimicrobial, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Disinfectants & Sanitizers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Uncategorized | No Comments »
22
Apr
In 1962, Rachel Carson said we stood at a crossroads: âThe road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road â the one less traveled by â offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth.â Eight years later, on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day encouraged collective action for conservation. Now, in the midst of a pandemic and cascading environmental crises (arguably, down the road of disaster), forging a new path toward restoration will take courage and imagination. This Earth Day, Beyond Pesticides is putting forth a toolkit to abandon half measures and forge ahead with an organic approach for repairing human health and the environment. LISTEN TO SCIENCE Biodiversity is plummeting worldwide. The climate crisis looms even as COVID-19 grabs headlines. Environmental pollution is a predictor of coronavirus death. Never has it been more obvious that the global community is interconnected, and enforcing preventative measures is critical before it is too late. Meanwhile, the Trump Administrationâs Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignores science, moving ahead with deregulation to […]
Posted in Agriculture, Alternatives/Organics, Climate Change, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Farmworkers, Take Action, Uncategorized | No Comments »