Tell Congress: Don't dismantle toxic protections and corporate accountability

Tell Congress: Don’t dismantle toxic protections and corporate accountability

Americans deserve to live in a country where public health authorities can act swiftly and effectively to protect us from toxic threats.

We shouldn’t have to wonder whether the chemicals we’re exposed to every day have been thoroughly vetted against the latest science, or whether the companies that produce them are being held accountable to ensure their products don’t cause harm. And we certainly shouldn’t have to wait years for a dangerous pesticide to be taken off the market once its risks are known.

We’re calling on Congress to place public health first and reject any provision that would impede the EPA, or other public health authorities, from keeping up with the latest scientific evidence or intervening to suspend the use of potentially harmful pesticides.

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Subject: Oppose the pesticide provision that leaves the public unprotected.

Message:

Americans should be able to trust that agencies like the EPA can act quickly and decisively when toxic threats from pesticides are discovered. With at least a billion pounds of pesticides sprayed across the country each year, we rely on the EPA and other public health authorities to recognize and reduce any risks posed to our health and environment, and to hold companies responsible for harm caused by their chemicals.

A new provision in the appropriations bill currently being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives undermines that trust. The provision, Section 453, would block the EPA and other agencies from taking emergency action on harmful pesticides unless they first complete a full, updated risk assessment, which can take up to 12 years.

That's simply too long to wait when Americans' health is on the line.

We've already seen what's at stake. In 2024, the EPA took emergency action to suspend the pesticide Dacthal (DCPA) due to the risks it posed to pregnant mothers and unborn children. The EPA deemed the pesticide so dangerous that it needed to be removed from the market immediately. If Section 453 had been in place, that intervention could have been significantly delayed, leaving the public, pregnant mothers, and children exposed to serious, preventable harm.

To make matters worse, this provision would also create roadblocks to holding pesticide companies accountable when their products cause harm.

Our health demands pesticide protections that prevent and remove risks, not delay them. And when pesticides do cause harm, we need to hold the corporations that produce them accountable.

I urge you to protect your constituents by voting against Section 453 or any similar provision that limits our public health authorities' ability to swiftly remove toxic threats and hold corporations responsible when their products do harm.

Tell Congress: Don’t dismantle toxic protections and corporate accountability

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