WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) applauded the state of California for its announcement that it will ban the toxic pesticide Chlorpyrifos, which is linked to brain damage in children and known to cause serious harm to human health and wildlife. Udall has introduced the Protect Children, Farmers and Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act of 2019 to outlaw the use of chlorpyrifos nationwide. Udall issued the following statement:
“In the absence of action from the Trump EPA, I applaud states like California, Hawaii and New York for stepping up to the plate to protect children, farmworkers, families and wildlife from this toxic nerve agent. Unfortunately, millions of children, workers and families across the country are still at risk of exposure, as the Trump administration continues to fight to keep this dangerous pesticide on the market. The science on chlorpyrifos is clear and unambiguous:
it
damages the developing brains of children and causes serious health problems in those who have been exposed to it. On top of that, a suppressed Fish and Wildlife Service study found that more than 1,200 species are at risk of extinction from this pesticide. The EPA needs to stop dragging its feet and doing the bidding of a handful of massive, multinational chemical corporations at the expense of protecting public health and the environment. And if the Trump administration continues to put industry profits before people, Congress must act urgently to pass my bill to ban this toxic chemical once and for all.”
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