WASHINGTON— U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) will hold a press conference at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Tuesday to discuss details of the groundbreaking pesticide reform legislation they will introduce that day, the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act of 2020.

The bill proposes important, science-based changes to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to better protect children and farmworkers, including bans on the dangerous pesticides paraquat and chlorpyrifos.

In addition to Sen. Udall and Rep. Neguse, the tele-press conference will feature leaders from public-health, farmworker and business communities.

Along with banning some of the most harmful pesticides, the legislation will close loopholes the pesticide industry has abused for decades and empower citizens and communities to take action to protect themselves from pesticides.

What: Sen. Udall and Rep. Neguse press call with a panel of health and environmental experts on landmark pesticide legislation.

When: 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. (EDT), Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020

Who:

• U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
• U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.)
• Lynn Goldman (MD, MS, MPH, FAAP), former assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention at the Environmental Protection Agency
• Gary Hirshberg, cofounder and former CEO and chairman of Stonyfield Organic
• Teresa Romero, president of the United Farm Workers

How to Join: RSVP by emailing [email protected].

Background: Each year the United States uses more than 1 billion pounds of pesticides — nearly one-fifth of worldwide use. Pesticides that the European Union and Canada have already banned due to safety and health concerns comprise one-quarter — 300 million pounds — of annual pesticide usage.

Once the EPA approves a pesticide, existing shortcomings in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act makes it nearly impossible to remove it from the market, even after new scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows it harms people or the environment.