Congress could take away protections from dangerous pesticides

For decades, PIRG staff and members have worked to restrict pesticides. But the new Farm Bill in Congress could undo most of that work overnight.

The government should be protecting people from harmful pesticides, not protecting pesticides from the people.

How the Farm Bill’s pesticide provision endangers public health

A provision in the 2024 Farm Bill would override every state’s pesticide rules and replace them with far weaker federal rules. That means an end to some hugely significant protections, like bans on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to damage in kids’ brains, or restrictions on neonics, the chemical responsible for devastating America’s bee populations. 

The Farm Bill would undo vital pesticide rules in almost every state in the country. For example, over 40 states have rules against spraying pesticides near schools or playgrounds, because of the danger pesticides can pose to children. Who wants clouds of carcinogenic pesticide drifting near schoolyards? These protections, however, would evaporate if this version of the Farm Bill were passed. 

Silencing lawsuits against pesticide producers

And that’s not all. This proposed provision in the Farm Bill also shields pesticide producers from lawsuits relating to the effects of their products.

That’s important because lawsuits are one of the main ways citizens can hold big agricultural companies accountable. Bayer, the producer of the infamous Roundup pesticide, has already been ordered to pay over $10 billion to people who got cancer after being exposed to Roundup.

If a company puts a harmful pesticide out in the world, it should be ready to face the consequences. That’s just common sense.

How to keep people safe from pesticides

At PIRG, standing up for consumers against threats to our health, safety and wellbeing at the state level is what we do best. With our support, more and more states have taken measures to protect our health and environment from unsafe pesticides. Now California is spotlighting pesticide linked to Parkinson’s Disease, and Maine has restricted pesticides containing endocrine-disrupting PFAS chemicals. 

This bill, however, would hamstring our ability to hold pesticide producers accountable and silence the many citizens who have stood up for safer farms and communities. 

It’s inevitable and essential that some version of the $1.5 trillion dollar Farm Bill passes Congress, but it can and should pass without all these disastrous provisions that strip away vital protections against harmful pesticides. 

Are you in? Tell Congress to remove the pro-pesticide provisions from the Farm Bill.