Our friends at the Pesticide Action Network sent this press release our way:
Last night, Minnesota resident Bonnie Wirtz returned to her home in St. Paul from Washington, D.C., where she was speaking out in favor of a bill to protect children from chlorpyrifos, a brain-harming pesticide. Chlorpyrifos is a widely-used agricultural insecticide that EPA’s scientists have acknowledged has neurotoxic effects, especially in children. However, in March, in one of his first moves as head of EPA, Administrator Scott Pruitt reneged on the Agency’s plans to phase out the chemical. This week, Senators introduced a bill calling for a ban on the use of the pesticide. Keith Ellison (D-MN) is a lead author on a companion bill introduced in the House.
Bonnie Wirtz is a mother and former Minnesota farmer who was exposed to chlorpyrifos when it drifted into her family’s home from a neighboring field via the air conditioning system. Both Bonnie and her son experienced symptoms of chloryprifos poisoning. Since his exposure to chlorpyrifos when he was 14 months old, Bonnie’s son has since been diagnosed with a nervous system disorder. Correction: Since his exposure to chlorpyrifos during the second spray season, Bonnie's son has since been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Flanked by U.S. Senators, children’s health advocates and scientists, Wirtz shared her story at an event outside the Capitol. “By leaving this chemical on the market we are gambling with the lives of children. It is stealing their futures from them and increasing the amount of health care dollars they will need for treatment,” Wirtz said.
In April, Minnesota legislators introduced a resolution calling on EPA to follows the science and ban chlorpyrifos. The resolution was authored by members of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus, and members of House and Senate Agriculture Committees.
Wirtz's experience was chronicled in a 2012 article by Lynn Peeples at Huffpost, Pesticide Drift, Sick Rural Residents Force Face-Off With Big Agriculture.
In April, The Guardian reported Environmentalists sue EPA for reversing Obama-era move to ban pesticide.
Here's the Facebook video from Senator Udall's office of the event discussing the rationale for the bill. Bonnie Wirtz discusses her family's experience about five and a half minutes into the event:
Screengrab: Bonnie Wirtz speaking up in Washington DC.
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