ACTION ALERT – Tell Representatives Nunn and Feenstra to Strike Pesticide Immunity Language from the Farm Bill

Crop duster at work. Photo: PickPik.com

The US House of Representatives is set to begin the markup of the Farm Bill on Monday, February 23 at 12:00 pm CT. There is language in Title 10, Subtitle C that provides multinational, multibillion dollar chemical companies with pesticide immunity.

US Representatives Randy Feenstra and Zach Nunn from Iowa sit on the Agriculture Committee where the language could be removed before it reaches the House floor.

Please take a moment to send a comment to Rep. Feenstra, Rep. Nunn, and your US representative to tell them to strip this harmful language out of the Farm Bill during the markup period.

Please see JFAN’s statement below on this language.

You can take action through Beyond Pesticides' Action Alert here.  This will take you to a page to fill in your information. Hit Submit and you'll be taken to a second page with a pre-written letter to your district representative that you can customize. 

Unless your letter is already directed to Reps. Feenstra or Nunn, copy your message before sending, and send the same message through the contact pages of Representative Feenstra here and Representative Nunn here. 

Let's get this language removed from the Farm Bill before it goes to the House floor for a vote.

Thank you for all you do,

JFAN Board of Directors

JFAN Statement on Pesticide Immunity Language in Title 10, Subtitle C of the Farm Bill

Language in Title 10, Subtitle C of the Farm Bill threatens the basic rights of a farmer or consumer to sue multinational, multibillion dollar chemical companies for failure to warn about the adverse effects of a pesticide. Further, it preempts state and local governments from better protecting their constituents and deregulates existing state and federal statutory protections.

This Farm Bill language would apply to all 57,000 chemicals registered with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Section 10205 of the Farm Bill would create federal preemption for pesticide labeling, shielding chemical companies from liability if they fail to warn about the adverse effects of their pesticides.  

Section 10206 would reverse a 1991 US Supreme Court decision and prohibit local and state governments from allowing more stringent pesticide regulations than federal standards. This provision usurps states’ rights to pass their own laws to better protect their constituencies.

Section 10207 is broadly worded to exempt EPA-registered pesticides from other established statutory permitting and approval requirements that safeguard waterways, federal lands, endangered species, and biodiversity from pesticide harm.

Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc. calls on Representative Zach Nunn and Representative Randy Feenstra to strip Sections 10205, 10206, and 10207 deregulating pesticides from Title 10 Subtitle C during the markup of the Farm Bill in the US House Agriculture Committee.

This language is harmful and far reaching. Representatives Nunn and Feenstra have a duty to protect Iowa citizens over the financial interests of the multibillion, multinational chemical companies.