Farm Workers and Allies Ask Gov't to Protect Kids From Toxic Pesticide Drift

Petition to EPA includes immediate no-spray buffer zones around homes, schools, day care centers for most toxic pesticides

LINDSAY, Calif. - October 14 - Luis Medellin and his three little sisters - aged 5, 9 and 12 - live in the middle of an orange grove in this small Central Valley town. During the growing season, Luis and his sisters are awakened several times a week by the sickly smell of nighttime pesticide spraying. What follows is worse: searing headaches, nausea, vomiting.

But if a coalition of farm worker, public health, and children's advocates are successful, Luis and his little sisters may one day be able to sleep through the night without these toxic disruptions.

The public interest law firms Earthjustice and Farmworker Justice filed a petition today (PDF) asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set safety standards protecting children who grow up near farms from the harmful effects of pesticide ‘drift' - the toxic spray or vapor that travels from treated fields. The groups are also asking the agency to immediately adopt no-spray buffer zones around homes, schools, parks and daycare centers for the most dangerous and drift-prone pesticides.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2009
1:50 PM
CONTACT: Farm Workers and Allies
Kathleen Sutcliffe
Earth Justice (202) 667-4500, ext 235;
ksutcliffe@earthjustice.org

Heather Pilatic
Pesticide Action Network
heather@panna.org

Barb Howe
Farmworker Justice (202) 293-5420, ext.307
bhowe@farmworkerjustice.org
(FULL TEXT: http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/10/14-4 )