140-plus state and local officials urge Congress to protect pesticide safety laws

WASHINGTON – Over 140 mayors, lawmakers and other officials from more than 30 states are joining forces in urging Congress to reject legislation that would limit longstanding state and local pesticide safety rules.

The officials sent a letter on January 10 to top members of the Senate and House Agriculture committees warning that the proposed legislation would impede the safety ordinances that help protect communities from the potential health harms of pesticides. 

They say the proposals would block them from pursuing pesticide limits that are stricter than the federal government’s, even if such policies are needed for a state or local area’s unique circumstances.

As Congress deliberates the next farm bill and Fiscal Year 2024 spending bills, the signatories urge lawmakers to preserve the right of state and local governments to decide which pesticide limits best suit their needs.

The officials expressed concern over legislation such as H.R. 4288, the Agricultural Labeling Uniformity Act, which, if enacted, would ban states from passing and enforcing additional requirements for warnings or information related to pesticides.

The letter underscores the significant pesticide oversight role for states and localities set out in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The law establishes the Environmental Protection Agency's baseline authority over pesticides in the U.S. but gives state and local governments the power to enact additional pesticide measures. 

“It is imperative state and local governments continue to have the authority to adopt more health-protective safeguards when necessary to shield their communities from exposure to toxic pesticides,” said Geoff Horsfield, government affairs manager at the Environmental Working Group, who helped organize the letter. 

“Big agriculture operations should not be able to spray pesticides wherever and whenever they’d like and put the well-being of nearby communities at even greater risk,” he said.

The state and local leaders highlight the Supreme Court's recognition of the power held by democratically elected local governments, pointing out that state and local entities are often better positioned to respond swiftly to emerging risks within their communities than the federal government.

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The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.