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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... 1999
Releases
The press releases posted here have been provided to NewsCenter by the one of the many progressive organizations we have selected to participate. If you would like more information about this press release, you should contact the organization directly. |
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| FEBRUARY
12, 1999 9:10 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Consumers Union Jeannine Kenney 202-462-6262; E-mail: kennje@consumer.org |
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| EPA Pesticide Brochure Slammed by Consumers Union | ||||
| WASHINGTON
- February 12 - Consumers Union strongly criticized the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) for failing to give consumers even the most basic information about
pesticides in food in a consumer-right-to-know brochure release by the
agency today.
"This brochure is a lost opportunity for the EPA and the Clinton/Gore Administration to extend their commitment to informing consumers about toxic hazards in their environments to the most fundamental level-pesticide residues in the food they feed their families," said Jeannine Kenney, a policy analyst at Consumers Union's Washington, D.C., office. "Instead of telling consumers that pesticides are toxic poisons, that they are found on many foods, and that some foods contain multiple pesticides, this brochure fails to provide consumers with even the most basic understanding of what pesticides are and what risks they pose." Chemical and food industry organizations had urged EPA to remove references to the harmful effects of pesticides and to omit a recommendation that consumers who wish to avoid pesticides in food can buy organically grown produce from prior drafts of the brochure. The final draft of the brochure removed references to the specific health hazards of pesticides and omitted the recommendation that consumers buy organic food. The pesticide brochure was required under a new pesticide safety law, The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, which requires EPA to modernize pesticide regulation to ensure pesticides are safe for infants and children. "The brochure is also badly misleading because it suggests that EPA is protecting consumers, particularly infants and children, from the harmful effects of pesticides," Kenney said. "In fact, that won't be true until the new pesticide safety law has been implemented. More than two years since that law has been enacted EPA is still not protecting kids from the pesticides in their diets, in part because of pressure from the chemical industry to delay any action to reduce pesticide risk." Consumer Reports, the flagship of Consumers Union, will release a new report next Thursday at a New York City based press conference. The report finds excessive pesticide levels on some fruits and vegetables. The report evaluates pesticide residues found on the foods children eat most and will provide consumers with recommendations on how to minimize their pesticide exposure. To receive press materials or learn how to attend or participate in a free audio hookup, contact Amy Wolfcale at 914-278-2437 or e-mail at wolfam@consumer.org . -0- |
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