Pesticide Industry Pushes for Exemption from Liability in Massive Threat to U.S. Public Health

Through policy advocacy and grassroots campaigning, Center for Food Safety (CFS), Moms Across America and many other U.S. organizations are fighting back against a coordinated, industry-backed campaign threatening decades of hard-won protections from pesticide exposure through simultaneous efforts at both state and federal levels.

At the end of March, CFS submitted expert policy comments alongside over 10,000 comments from their members asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deny a rulemaking petition with disastrous implications for pesticide regulations nationwide.

CFS and other organizations are opposing these efforts to severely restrict states’ longstanding authority to implement stronger pesticide warnings than allowed for under federal standards, thereby shielding pesticide manufacturers from liability when people are harmed by their products.

“This multi-pronged attack represents one of the most serious threats to public health protections from pesticides we’ve seen in decades,” said Amy van Saun, Senior Attorney at CFS. “If successful, these efforts would not only prevent states from warning residents about pesticide dangers, but would also block victims of pesticide exposure from seeking justice.”