Stop Rollbacks On Pesticide Protections

The Trump admin recently proposed rule changes that will put farmworkers and rural families near farms at risk of exposure to toxic pesticides. Speak up to help stop them before the January 30 comment deadline!

WHY THIS MATTERS Agricultural work is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Farmworkers face unbearable heat, backbreaking labor, and pesticide exposure. Agriculture Worker Protection Standard was put into place to protect farmworkers from occupational hazards, such as pesticide exposure.

Now, the Trump administration wants this common-sense precaution to stop at the farm's property line. But pesticides are notorious for drifting onto neighboring properties, which places the health of farmers, farmworkers, and neighbors at risk.

These rules were put into place to protect people from the spraying of toxic chemicals. These changes are a betrayal to farmworkers and their families.

It's absurd to expect pesticides to respect property boundaries. This action places corporate interests ahead of the wellbeing of people who live or work near farms, by exposing them to dangerous, cancer-causing chemicals.

Demand the Environmental Protection Agency act to protect people and the planet, not corporate profits. Please, include a personal statement so it isn't seen as a form letter.

TO: Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs

Cancel the proposed changes to the Application Exclusion Zone

https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/stop-rollbacks-on-pesticide-protections/petition

Support Organic First in Tucson City Parks

Help Us on April 23 or before by Showing Your Support for Organic First Tucson City Parks!!!

You might remember that the Tucson City Council approved a motion to go Organic First in city parks on October 23, 2018. It’s now time to show your support of this plan to keep the momentum moving forward!

HERE’S HOW:
1. Attend Tucson City Council’s Study Session Meeting
Tuesday, April 23 @ 12pm to show support at the Mayor & Council Chambers: City Hall, 255 W. Alameda
.

Bring a handmade sign with a simple phrase such as
:
- Thank You! / We want Safe Parks – Go Organic
- We Support Pesticide Free – Go Organic

- Keep Our Community Safe – Bee Pesticide Free

- Or your own catchy phrase supporting Organic First
.

Click here to review the Agenda on the City Council’s Website for more information before going:
Tucson City Council Meeting Agenda #3 Link

Most of our main organizing group will be at the Study Session. Please look for us there!

Note: you will have to go through a security line to get into the City Council Study Session, so do not bring any glass, knives, etc.

2. Email the City Council Members and the Mayor by end of the day on Monday, 4/22/19

Tell them how much you appreciate their vote to go Organic First on October 23, 2018, and their continued effort to Make Tucson Safe in Public Lands and want them to keep moving forward on this effort.

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild: mayor1@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 1 Council Member Regina Romero: ward1@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham: ward2@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 3 Council Member Paul Durham: ward3@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 4 Council Member Shirley Scott: ward4@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 5 Council Member Richard Fimbres: ward5@tucsonaz.gov
Ward 6 Council Member Steve Kozachik: ward6@tucsonaz.gov

3. Share this email with others on your email list or share the information on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Resist-and-Regenerate-Pima-County-AZ/events/260713121/

Share on This on FB:
Like our FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/ToxinFreePimaCounty/

- Toxin Free Pima County 

Tell your Senators a pesticide executive has no business as Chief Scientist of the USDA

Now that Democrats have gained control of the House, major polluters are pushing for everything they can get away with in the time they have left. With this administration's attempts to sweep away ecological and public health protections, we need to be prepared for quick, sneaky moves to install environmental de-regulators like Scott Hutchins. Hutchins’ history indicates an agenda of intensive, toxic petrochemical agriculture with high external inputs rather than more sustainable, ecological, and non-toxic methods of growing food.

Stop industry attempts to install another toxic leader and take action now to tell the Senate: Absolutely no to Scott Hutchins being confirmed as Chief Scientist of the USDA.

Scott Hutchins is the third big pesticide player from Dow Chemical that Trump has nominated to the USDA.1 His career efforts to deregulate pesticides have left women, children, and farmworkers especially vulnerable to the impacts of his company’s products -- while exposing our food supply to even more toxins.

Dow even donated $1 million to Donald Trump's inaugural committee upon his election and then held a secretive meeting with Scott Pruitt. Shortly after, Trump's EPA reversed plans to ban Dow's neurotoxic pesticide, chlorpyrifos, despite the EPA's own scientists having concluded that "ingesting even minuscule amounts of the chemical can interfere with the brain development of fetuses and infants." 2

A hearing for his confirmation has just been announced for November 28, so we need all hands on deck.

Make it clear to your Senators: We will not let yet another major chemical company player be installed in a critical federal regulatory agency to the detriment of our food supply, public health, and the environment we share.

Tell your U.S. Senators to deny Trump's efforts to appoint the head of Dow’s pesticide division as Chief Scientist of the USDA. Scott Hutchins’ career advocacy for dangerous pesticides has left women, children, and farmworkers especially vulnerable to the impacts of his company’s products -- while exposing our food supply to even more harmful chemicals.

Pesticide pollution of our water, soil, and air is unacceptable and a toxic agrichemical executive is deeply inappropriate for a Chief Scientist role at our federal agricultural regulatory agency that is supposed to protect the public. This is Trump's third Dow Chemical nomination to the USDA and it must be stopped before the hearing on November 28!

- Nomi Carmona, National Online Organizer, Pollinators & Ethanol, Sierra Club

1. Mother Jones, July 18, 2018. Trump Just Nominated a Pesticide Exec to Oversee Science at the USDA.
2. The Los Angeles Times, June 30, 2017. EPA chief met with Dow Chemical before Deciding not to ban toxic pesticide.

**Add a personal message in your own words to strengthen your signature and show your Senators you are paying very close attention**

Here is my personal comment to be used as an example only:

It has been proven that Monsanto covered up data showing that Roundup causes cancer. Then the House passed a farm bill that allows companies to dump pesticides in our waterways without abiding by the endangered species laws. One amendment even dismantles the Clean Water Rule. It is obvious that the pesticide industry already has too much influence on our so-call representatives. There are other organic ways to grow crops. As more of our water is depleted from mining, droughts and contamination from storms, we need to do everything we can to safeguard the water we still have. We can't live without water. Please, don't give more power to an industry that is willing to poison us for profit.

TAKE ACTION PROTECT WORKERS AND CHILDREN FROM PESTICIDES

The farmworkers who help bring fresh fruit and produce to our tables and the people who apply pesticides in our homes and communities aren’t protected by the same safety standards that most workers in the U.S. enjoy. Farmworkers and pesticide applicators face repeated exposure to a range of toxic chemicals.

So when the Environmental Protection Agency announced an updated set of basic life-saving rules in 2015 and 2017, dozens of farmworker, labor, public health and environmental organizations rejoiced. But now the Trump administration has announced plans to reverse these crucial protections against pesticide exposure and poisonings.

From setting a minimum age of 18 for workers who mix, load and apply pesticides; to improving the content and quality of worker safety trainings; to providing farmworkers with anti-retaliation protections and the right to request pesticide-application information, these basic safety standards were put in place to protect the 2.5 million farmworkers in the U.S. who experience 10,000-20,000 reported pesticide poisonings per year, and approximately one million pesticide applicators.

Don’t let the Trump administration put farmworkers, pesticide handlers, their families and the broader public at risk. Tell your senators to stop this attack on the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard and the Certification of Pesticide Applicators Rule.

- Earth Justice

Add your name here to leave the following comment.  Please, personalize it for more impact. 

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt wants to weaken rules that would prevent children from applying toxic pesticides and protect all of us from dangerous chemicals found in agricultural, commercial and residential settings.  By tampering with the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard and its sister set of safety standards, the Certification of Pesticide Applicators Rule, Pruitt is putting farmworkers, pesticide handlers, their families and the entire public at risk.

 

Pesticides are applied on our food and in, on or around our homes, schools, hospitals and workplaces. If the people who handle pesticides aren't adequately trained or don't understand the dangers of the chemicals they're handling, the health and safety of workers, communities and all consumers can be at risk. Pesticide misuse has led to worker poisonings and serious harm for hundreds of homeowners and their families, and resulted in the tragic deaths of children. 

With the lives of children and families across the country at stake, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), along with senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), are leading an effort to urge the EPA to preserve these protections by keeping the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard rule and Certification of Pesticide Applicators rule in place.  

As your constituent, I urge you to join them in signing the “Dear Colleague” letter opposing the EPA's attacks on the child and worker protection rules.

Tell your senators to oppose any legislative attempt to weaken ESA protections for species affected by pesticides

The pesticide industry is pushing a bill that threatens the survival of endangered species. The pesticide industry is pushing secret legislation on Capitol Hill that would dismantle Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections against deadly pesticides. A version of this hidden bill was obtained by the Center for Food Security. Toxic pesticides are one of the primary risks to endangered species. They threaten thousands of species, from California condors to Florida panthers, Sandhill Cranes to Atlantic salmon. Under current law, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is legally required to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to minimize harm to endangered species from EPA-approved pesticides. That requirement is effective. For example, in a case brought by CFS attorneys a federal court held that the approvals of 59 bee killing “neonic” pesticides were illegal because the EPA failed to comply with the ESA. But the new legislation promoted by the pesticide industry would erase this critical requirement. And the deadly harm of toxic pesticides to endangered species would only be assessed upon request by pesticide manufacturers – who obviously have zero incentive to put their own products under scrutiny. The proposal would also limit enforcement actions designed to prevent pesticides from killing or harming endangered wildlife. Tell your members of Congress to oppose any legislative attempt to weaken ESA protections for species affected by pesticides >> Why would Congress make this dangerous change to the law? In April, DowDupont (formerly Dow Chemical) asked EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to stop all efforts to fully assess the impacts of chlorpyrifos, malathion, and diazinon, which have been shown to harm virtually all of America’s approximately 1,800 protected species. AndPruitt has apparently capitulated - the federal government’s efforts to protect endangered species from those three chemicals has been completely stalled. Shortly after becoming EPA Administrator, Pruitt reversed a research-based decision by the agency’s scientists to ban use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos — which is linked to learning disabilities in children — on food crops, including apples and oranges. Pruitt approved chlorpyrifos use even though the EPA’s own research shows residues of the chemical on produce in amounts exponentially above levels the agency has determined to be safe. If Pruitt won’t protect our children and farmworkers from the overuse of highly poisonous insecticides, then he certainly can’t be trusted to protect our endangered species from them. Beautiful species like Palos Verde Blue butterflies, rusty patched bumble bees, and even our majestic whooping cranes may all disappear if we are forced to trust Mr. Pruitt – but this bill removes all the checks on him. In short, this new legislation would eviscerate meaningful protections for fish, wildlife, and plants under the Endangered Species Act. Tell your Senators and Representative to oppose any legislative attempt to weaken ESA protections for species affected by pesticides >> - The Center for Food Safety 1. https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/pesticideesadraftlegislation_58487.pdf

Tell the Senate: Ban this extremely toxic brain-harming pesticide

The petition to the Senate reads: "Chlorpyrifos, the toxic insecticide that damages the developing brains of children and infants, has been banned for home use since 2001, yet millions of pounds are still sprayed on crops, threatening farmworkers, rural children and our food supply. Pass the 'Protect Children, Farmers and Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act' to ban the use of chlorpyrifos in food." Add your name:

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence, climate-denier Scott Pruitt and his polluter-friendly Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) refused earlier this year to ban chlorpyrifos – the extremely toxic pesticide linked to a whole host of debilitating neurological disorders, long-term damage to children's brains and even cancer. Chlorpyrifos is so dangerous that the EPA banned the toxin for home use nearly two decades ago, yet Big Ag still sprays nearly 10 million pounds of the chemical on crops across the country, which poses a major health risk to farmworkers — many of whom are immigrants — and children in rural communities. Since the EPA would rather give handouts to the chemical industry than protect consumers, farmworkers and children, a group of Democratic senators have introduced the "Protect Children, Farmers and Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act" to completely prohibit the use of chlorpyrifos in food. We must demand the Senate act immediately to pass this critical legislation. Tell the Senate: Ban toxic chlorpyrifos now. Click here to sign the petition. Chlorpyrifos is the most widely used insecticide in the world and belongs to the same family as sarin nerve gas.1 People who have been exposed to the chemical have experienced permanent changes in brain structure, loss of IQ, increased likelihood of children developing ADHD or other developmental and behavioral disorders, reduced lung function, asthma, and cancer.2 In 2015, President Obama's EPA proposed banning chlorpyrifos for all agricultural use, but earlier this year, Donald Trump's anti-science, pro-industry EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, well-known for denying climate change, reversed that decision, claiming the science behind the chemical's toxic effects were inconclusive.3 Media reports at the time suggest Dow Chemical, the major manufacturer of chlorpyrifos, played a significant role influencing Pruitt's decision.4 Activism to force lawmakers to more strictly regulate chlorpyrifos is working – but we can't stop now. This summer, CREDO, along with our allies at the Pesticide Action Network, Friends of the Earth and other organizations, delivered more than 167,000 petition signatures urging California Gov. Jerry Brown to ban this pesticide. In response, California regulators are drafting new rules for chlorpyrifos use.5 That's why we must now call on the Senate to pass this bill to protect the developing brains of small children, the health and safety of farmers and farmworkers, and our food supply from this dangerous and extremely toxic pesticide immediately. Tell the Senate: Ban toxic chlorpyrifos now. Click on this link to sign the petition. - Josh Nelson, Deputy Political Director CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References Zoë Schlanger, "The US government is ignoring its own scientists’ warning that a Dow pesticide causes brain damage in children," Quartz, March 30, 2017. Pesticide Action Network, "Chlorpyrifos," accessed Aug. 29, 2017. Eric Lipton, "E.P.A. Chief, Rejecting Agency’s Science, Chooses Not to Ban Insecticide," The New York Times, March 29, 2017. Lorraine Chow, "EPA Chief Met With Dow Chemical CEO Before Deciding Not to Ban Toxic Pesticide," EcoWatch, June 28, 2017. The Associated Press, "California tightens rules on popular pesticide for farmers," Aug. 18, 2017.

Monday is the last day for public comments to EPA on banning bee-killing neonic pesticides

It's in our hands....

The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: neonics kill bees. Then why is Big Agra’s ignoring the science and still using this bee-killing pesticide? Bees are key pollinators that support the world’s ecosystems and agriculture, by killing them Big Agra is putting us all at risk.

This Monday, July 24th the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the last day for public comments on two of the most widely used neonics, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. This is a historic opportunity to show the EPA that we’re paying attention and won’t let Big Agra destroy our ecosystem.

These substances are responsible for the rapid decline in bee populations globally. It’s time we banned them and put the environment before profit and greed -- make your voice heard now and tell the EPA to finally ban bee-killing neonics.

The EPA's consultation closes on the 24th of July -- make our voices heard now and tell the EPA to finally ban bee-killing neonics.

The EPA first allowed neonic clothianidin on the market in 2003 under “conditional registration” -- which means the agency green-lit this pesticide without knowing all the facts about its potential harms.

Now the data is in and it’s undisputable -- clothianidin and thiamethoxam harm and kill bees. Thanks in part to neonics use, 2008 to 2013 saw a massive 23 percent decline in bee populations. We can’t afford for the EPA to wait any longer.

We are making headway in saving the bees in the US. In May, Walmart announced that it will take steps to stop selling bee-killing neonics. And just last month, we delivered over 110,000 SumOfUs member signatures to Kroger's annual shareholder meeting. Now, we need to build on that momentum and tell the EPA that these neonics have no place in our food chain, our ecosystem, and our environment.

Submit a public comment asking the EPA to ban these bee-killing neonic pesticides now to protect our planet for future generations!

- SumOfUs

More information:

Neonicotinoids can harm some bees, The Economist, July 1st, 2017.
A common neonicotinoid pesticide, thiamethoxam, impairs honey bee flight ability, Nature.com, April 26th, 2017.

Sign the petition to the Kroger shareholders asking them to stop selling bee-killing pesticides

Un-bee-lievable news! Walmart has officially decided to stop selling bee-killing pesticides!

Walmart now joins other major global retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, and B&Q who have promised to keep harmful neonics off their shelves.

But there’s one major holdout that have not shown their love for the bees: Kroger, the second-largest grocery chain in the world.

We already have tens of thousands of SumOfUs members who are standing up to Kroger and demanding the mega-chain land on the right side of history. We know we can make that number explode before delivering your signatures straight to the Kroger’s annual shareholder meeting on June 22.

Will you raise your voice and tell Kroger to stop killing the bees?

The pressure is getting impossible for major retail chains to ignore. Over 110 global chains swearing off bee-killing neonic pesticides for good. Consumers are beginning to demand that their favourite stores adopt bee-friendly policies. It’s only a matter of time before they all come along—and those that don’t will get left behind.

This isn’t rocket science: without healthy bee populations our crop growth suffers dramatically and without healthy crops we can't feed ourselves. Corporate food retailers have chained themselves to outdated, pesticide-heavy habits because they care more about their own profits than protecting our food systems. We need to show Kroger and other food giants that not only are bee-friendly products possible, they are necessary for our shared survival.

The SumOfUs Community has been on the forefront of getting neonics out of stores. It was because of pressure from over 750,000 bee-loving SumOfUs members like you that we got Home Depot, Lowe’s and True Value to commit to removing neonics from its supply chain. If we ramp up that kind of momentum in advance of its AGM, we can force Kroger to do the right thing.

Tell Kroger to commit to bee-friendly policies now.

- SumOfUs team

More information:

Walmart and True Value to Phase Out Bee-Killing Pesticides While Ace Hardware Lags Behind, CommonDreams, May 3, 2017
Shareholder Resolution Urges Kroger to Have Independent Board Leadership, Whole Foods Magazine, May 17, 2017