Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog

(Beyond Pesticides, November 4, 2009) Environmental and farm groups are asking the Senate to reject the Obama Administration pick for chief agriculture trade representative because of positions that he has taken in support of genetically modified organisms as a spokesman for the agrichemical industry, his attack of the European Union (EU) moratorium on genetically engineered [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 21, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making available the battery of scientific assays and test guidelines for conducting the assays for each of 67 chemicals included for Tier 1 testing for endocrine disrupting effects during the next three months. This comes after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 8, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will launch a comprehensive new evaluation of the pesticide atrazine to determine its effects on humans this fall. At the end of this process, the agency will decide whether to revise its current risk assessment of the pesticide and whether new [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 7, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is establishing a new transparent process that will allow the public to review and comment on risk assessments and proposed registration decisions for pesticides. This expanded process will apply to all new pesticide active ingredients and first food uses, first outdoor uses, and first [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 2, 2009) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is moving forward with a plan to disclose the identities of all so-called “inert’ ingredients in pesticides, including those that are potentially hazardous. EPA believes this increased transparency will assist consumers and users of pesticides in making informed decisions and will better [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, September 25, 2009) On September 24, 2009, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the appointment of five new members to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), including Beyond Pesticides executive director Jay Feldman. Beyond Pesticides thanks Secretary Vilsack, as well as the individuals, farm, health and environmental organizations and members [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, September 23, 2009) On September 21, 2009, Beyond Pesticides, joined by 32 other groups and individuals, submitted comments to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) showing new and emerging science which illustrates that glyphosate and its formulated products pose unreasonable risk to human and environmental health, and as such should not be considered [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, August 25, 2009) Earthbound Farm, a national brand best known for its bagged organic salads, is having a “Kids’ Quote Contest” for children (17 and under) to come up with the best way to complete the following sentence, “Thank you for choosing organic. It matters to me because…” Beyond Pesticides encourages parents to [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, June 19, 2009) Farmworker unions, support groups, and worker advocacy organizations today asked Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson to stop the pesticide poisoning of farmworker communities and uphold the Obama administration’s commitment to environmental justice. Citing a long EPA history of “inhumane neglect of toxic pesticide effects on farmworker community [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, June 18, 2009) Do you ever wonder about pesticides on your food or in your drinking water, and in particular, which of those pesticides are most hazardous? On June 17, 2009, Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) launched its What’s On My Food database, which makes the results of government tests for pesticide [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, June 9, 2009) This month Beyond Pesticides expanded its website content to include video presentations from its 2006-2009 National Pesticide Forums. Topics range from big-picture organizing issues during an Obama administration to pesticide science and local organic farming issues. Presentations by Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) founder Baldemar Velasquez, Poisoned Profits: The Toxic [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, March 18, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new online database that collects information on more than 500,000 synthetic chemicals from over 200 public sources. The Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource (ACToR) database provides access to hundreds of data sources in one place, enabling easy access for environmental researchers, scientific [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, March 13, 2009) National Women’s History Month (March 2009) features a new film honoring Rachel Carson, the woman who launched the modern environmental movement. The film, A Sense of Wonder, will be screened nationwide to celebrate today’s women leaders who are saving the planet. Beyond Pesticides believes that the film, which is available [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, February 19, 2009) The Endocrine Exchange (TEDX) has released a new database on the prenatal origins of endocrine disruption, called Critical Windows of Development. It compares human development in the womb with laboratory research showing where and when low-dose exposures to chemicals have effects. The timeline currently charts three chemicals: dioxin, bisphenol A [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 24, 2008) Beyond Pesticides would like to wish our members and friends a happy and healthy New Year! We look forward to working with you to make 2009 a happy, healthy and pesticide-free year for you, your family, your community and those most vulnerable. We are thankful for all our members [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 23, 2008) Last week, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) reported that pesticide use declined in California for a second consecutive year in 2007. Approximately 172 million pounds of pesticides were applied statewide, a decrease of nearly 16 million pounds - or 8.4 percent - from 2006.
Production agricultural use dropped by [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 11, 2008) In a recent study, researchers find that triclosan, the antibacterial agent found in many consumer products including soaps, toothpaste, cosmetics, counter tops and toys, alters thyroid function in male rats. These effects are observed at concentrations that may be used in consumer products and highlight the growing threat consumers face [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, December 9, 2008) When pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962, the backlash from her critics thrust her into the center of a political maelstrom. Despite her love of privacy, Ms. Carson’s convictions and her foresight regarding the risks posed by chemical pesticides forced her into a very public and controversial [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 24, 2008) Acknowledging the critical need for in-depth review of products utilizing nanotechnology pesticides, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened a 60-day public comment period in response to a petition filed by the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) which demands the agency stop the sale of numerous consumer products with nano-silver. [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, November 10, 2008) Despite unanimous criticism of its preliminary risk assessment by the environmental community, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in its completed the Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for the controversial antibacterial triclosan, concludes that all uses, with the exception of the paint use, are eligible for reregistation. Triclosan, which is expected [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 24, 2008) A report to be released October 27 by public health groups and leading Maryland health and elder care facilities documents new practices and policies to eliminate toxic pesticide use. The changes reflect a heightened awareness of the need to protect particularly vulnerable populations from serious health risks associated with toxic [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, October 3, 2008) Activists and individuals concerned about misleading claims on pesticide labeling scored a victory on Wednesday when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdrew its draft notice on label statements regarding cause marketing and third-party endorsements. After a two-year process of EPA proposals and public comment periods, the agency has determined that [...]

(Beyond Pesticides, August 18, 2008) North Carolina Governor Mike Easley last week signed into law Senate Bill 847, “An act to add agricultural workers to those protected against retaliation in the workplace and to direct the Pesticide Board to adopt rules requiring licensed pesticide applicators to record the specific time of day when each pesticide [...]