{"id":15564,"date":"2020-09-17T21:10:01","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T21:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.honeybeehaven.org\/?p=15564"},"modified":"2021-02-10T21:13:21","modified_gmt":"2021-02-10T21:13:21","slug":"pactpa-putting-people-before-pesticides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.honeybeehaven.org\/pactpa-putting-people-before-pesticides\/","title":{"rendered":"PACTPA: Putting people before pesticides"},"content":{"rendered":"
On August 4, Senator Tom Udall and Representative Joe Neguse introduced proposed legislation \u2014 the \u201cProtect America\u2019s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act<\/a>\u201d, or (PACTPA).\u00a0 This bill would overhaul U.S. pesticide rules, ultimately mandating new rules to protect people and the environment.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> PAN Senior Scientist Margaret Reeves says it best<\/a>:<\/p> The science is crystal clear.\u00a0 These chemicals are putting our health, environment and food supply at risk and we must help farmers move away from them. Senator Udall\u2019s bill puts science, public health and on-farm resilience over corporate profits \u2014 its passage is urgently needed and would finally put us on the right track.<\/p><\/blockquote> Each year the United States uses over one billion pounds of pesticides \u2014 nearly a fifth of worldwide usage \u2014 and use levels continue to increase.\u00a0<\/p> The current law governing U.S. pesticide regulations, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act<\/a> (FIFRA) contains provisions that prioritize pesticide industry interests above the health and safety of people and our environment.\u00a0<\/p> Once approved, under FIFRA, pesticides typically remain on the market for decades, even after scientific evidence shows significant harm to people or the environment.\u00a0 This outdated law continues to support widespread application of pesticides by failing to respond to the real and measurable threats these chemicals pose:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> It is crystal clear that the current law is past its useful lifespan.\u00a0 It is past time to protect people, not chemical companies\u2019 bottom lines.<\/p> The proposed Protect America\u2019s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act (full text here<\/a>) addresses many of FIFRA\u2019s shortcomings.\u00a0 This bill provides significant protections for frontline communities that bear the brunt of pesticide exposure, prohibits the use of old stockpiles of banned pesticides, and requires listing of inert ingredients<\/a> on all pesticide products.<\/p> PACTPA would:<\/p> FIFRA puts new products on the market quickly, while making it difficult to remove dangerous products.\u00a0 PACTPA would begin to shift the needle toward a regulatory system that protects the people and the environment.<\/p>Out with the old \u2014 FIFRA\u2019s failings<\/h3>
In with the new \u2014 PACTPA\u2019s potential<\/h3>
We can, and must, do this<\/h3>