As highlighted in this Sept. 5th Civil Eats article, “A lesser-known provision in the House farm bill would prevent cities and counties from setting their own rules about pesticides on public land...it would reverse current bans in 155 communities.”

“Section 9101 would prevent cities, counties and communities from restricting certain uses of pesticides even if they deem restrictions necessary for protecting children's health or the environment. For example, this provision would prevent a city or county from restricting chlorpyrifos – an insecticide so dangerous it was slated to be banned by the Environmental Protection Agency – from being sprayed near schools or hospitals. ” - Environmental Working Group

This sneak attack on local sovereignty should outrage our members and all supporters of a less-toxic future. The chemical lobby would like to centralize regulation to the federal government, where it has tighter control on regulators and where they can concentrate their lobbying dollars in D.C. A nationwide grassroots movement to protect our children and neighbors from chemical trespass is the last thing they want to face.

Please take action to contact your member of Congress about this disastrous provision. We are hoping that the entire House version of the Farm Bill is jettisoned in favor of the Senate version. However, even if that happens, this won’t be the last time the chemical industry tries this. We need to make sure that Congress knows they must not forbid local governments from providing greater public health protection than the federal government.

Please contact your members of congress and ask them to:

“Oppose Section 9101 of the House farm bill and any other legislation which would allow the federal government to preempt local governments from setting their own standards for pesticides.”