Bill would drastically amend U.S. pesticide regulatory statutes
On Sept., 15, NPC and state potato organization signed onto a letter sent to members of Congress opposing recently introduced legislation by Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) that would drastically amend FIFRA, the nation’s pesticide regulatory statute.
In the letter, the group argues that the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act of 2020 (H.R. 7940, S. 4406) misrepresents the science-based safety standards used to protect farmers, workers and the public. “The legislation as introduced would gut decades of federal regulation and scientific progress, undermining the work of EPA’s career scientists in the evaluation of pesticide safety and oversight of pesticide registration and use. The bills would jeopardize the continued availability and innovation of pesticide products by imposing an unscientific and unbalanced process that could unnecessarily remove pest control options from those who need them to safely grow crops, protect homes and infrastructure, control pathogens and disease vectors, and maintain green spaces such as parks and golf courses,” they write.
The full letter can be found here.
