For Immediate Release: May 8, 2019
Contact: Nayamin Martinez, 559-907-2047, nayamin.martinez@ccejn.org
California moves a step closer to prohibit brain-damaging pesticide Chlorpyrifos. Cal-EPA announced that it will begin the cancellation process of this pesticide, but this announcement falls short to protect vulnerable communities
Fresno, California.- Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN) applauds Governor Gavin Newsom and California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) Secretary Jared Blumenfeld’s leadership in setting in motion the process to cancel the registration of the pesticide Chlorpyrifos. This has been a long awaited and necessary action from our public officials to protect Californians from the negative impacts of this pesticide; especially farmworkers and residents in the San Joaquin Valley who live, work and study in close proximity to where this pesticide is heavily applied. Nevertheless, we are concerned that the several administrative steps can still get in the way of banning Chlorpyrifos in California in the near future.
According to the press released issued today, the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) will first consult with the AG Commissioners and Air Districts, before filing for the cancellation of Chlorpyrifos, and they recognized that this process could take up to two years.
For CCEJN and the communities which we represent, we should not wait any longer. Families in rural areas of Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties, where 60 percent of the nearly one million pounds of chlorpyrifos were applied in 2016, should not continue to be exposed to the detrimental impacts of this “silent-killer”.
CCEJN commends and supports each and every effort which would immediately lead to banning Chlorpyrifos in California. We have supported and will continue to support Senator Maria Elena Durazo’s bill, SB-458, “Protect Children from the Brain-Damaging Chlorpyrifos“, because we need to work on all fronts to protect the health and safety of our children and more vulnerable populations.
We urge our Californian regulatory authorities and legislators to work in coordination to prohibit Chlorpyrifos
#########################
Central California Environmental Justice Network has been promoting environmental justice in the SJV since 2000. Our mission is to preserve our natural resources by seeking to minimize or eliminate environmental degradation in the SJV. CCEJN focuses on advancing community resilience in disadvantaged communities by increasing the level of recognition of adverse health effects caused by pollution and serving as a hub for environmental activism in the Central Valley.