By Vilmer Alvarado, government affairs intern
On Nov. 30, 2021, Sen. Cory Booker re-introduced the Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act of 2021 to the floor of the Senate, a bill that was previously introduced to the 116th Congress, and that if passed, undermines 70 years of pesticide regulatory advancement based on the best available science.
If passed, S.3283 would ban organophosphates, neonicotinoids and any product that is banned or otherwise prohibited by the European Union or Canada. The bill would also allow localities to restrict pesticide products in defiance of state preemption laws while enabling individual citizens to petition the EPA to ban products.
Pesticides are essential to maintaining healthy turf, trees and ornamentals. Issuing local bans and restrictions hinders the ability of golf course superintendents to do their jobs.
GCSAA stands for the responsible use of pesticides, which are already one of the most regulated substances in the country through the EPA, which is dedicated to pesticide review and is assigned the authority for registering or reregistering pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1972 (FIFRA). The EPA thoroughly reviews scientific and health data for all pesticide products before they are made available for sale and use, and the data must show that products work for their intended purpose and that they do not cause unreasonable harm to human health or the environment. In addition, FIFRA already requires the EPA to consider economic, social, and environmental benefits and risks, and the law requires special considerations for risks to infants and children so further regulation is not needed
Lastly, the bill would prevent the EPA from issuing out emergency exemptions or conditional registrations.
The golf industry uses pesticides judiciously to create societal benefits including the creation of critical greenspaces, habitats for wildlife and the availability of recreational opportunities. Enacting S.3283 would have the government take a “hazard only” approach to the regulation of pesticides, it would prevent superintendents from doing their job effectively and efficiently and would prevent communities from enjoying the many benefits that come with the use of these critical products.
GCSAA recently signed onto a letter in opposition to S.3283, which was also backed by more than 350 other organizations. Nearly all of GCSAA’s chapters were also signatory to the letter that was sent members of Congress. The letter emphasizes the pesticide user industry’s support for the current pesticide regulatory system under FIFRA. “This federal regulatory system supports science and innovation, along with safety and efficacy. Upending this system, which is the goal of S. 3283, would undermine the science-based standards of FIFRA and threaten the availability of the safe and effective pesticide products that protect public health, infrastructure, waterways and green spaces.”