Monday, October 16, 2017

Sign the petition: Tell your members of Congress to ban the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos!

Our fruits and vegetables are being sprayed with a dangerous neurotoxin called chlorpyrifos, and despite mounting scientific evidence and the EPA's own recommendation, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt decided to let the pesticide stay legal.

Fortunately, two bills have been introduced into Congress that ban this dangerous chemical.

Tell your members of Congress to ban the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos!

Chlorpyrifos is in the same chemical category as sarin nerve gas and has been linked to lower IQs and memory problems in children of women who were exposed while pregnant.

Horrifyingly, six to ten million pounds of chlorpyrifos is sprayed on crops like apples, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, cranberries, onions, peaches, strawberries, soybeans, and walnuts each year.1

At the end of 2016, under mounting pressure from the public including environmental, workers rights, and children's rights organizations, EPA staff completed a review of large amounts of scientific evidence and concluded that there was no safe use for chlorpyrifos, even in small quantities, and that the pesticide should be banned.

However, in March 2017, Scott Pruitt ignored his own agency's findings and the mountains of scientific evidence against chlorpyrifos, and decided that the pesticide would remain in use for years to come.2

In the past few weeks several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests have revealed and verified Scott Pruitt's close ties to the polluting and chemical industries. Additionally, a couple months ago through a FOIA The New York times discovered that multiple political appointees pressured career staff to reject the petition to ban chlorpyrifos.3 

You don't even need to read between the lines to see that Scott Pruitt's decision let chlorpyrifos stay legal likely had little to do with protecting the environment, our families, or farmers.

Since Scott Pruitt won't, we need our members of Congress to protect our children, communities, farmers, and farmworkers!

Tell your members of Congress to stand up for our health and safety by banning chlorpyrifos!

This is not just a fight for safe food, it's a fight to show Administrator Scott Pruitt that he can't ignore science, and neglect the health and safety of Americans.

- SierraRise

Sources:
1. "Chlorpyrifos: The toxic pesticide now harming our children and environment." Earth Justice. ���
2. Dol��ak, N. and Prakash, A. (12 April 2017). "Why did Scott Pruitt refuse to ban a chemical that the EPA itself said is dangerous?" Washington Post���
3. Lipton, E. and Rabin, R. (18 August 2017). "E.P.A. Promised 'a New Day' for the Agriculture Industry, Documents Reveal." New York Times.

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