June 8, 2005 - Suit Claims Farmworkers' Children at Risk
Environmental and labor special interest groups filed a federal lawsuit against the EPA on Tuesday alleging its failure to protect farmworkers' children against pesticide exposure endangers hundreds of thousands of children.
The suit is the latest in an ongoing push to hold the EPA responsible for pesticide levels. The suit said that more than 50 organizations across the nation had asked the Environmental Protection Agency to amend current standards to account for the most exposed and susceptible members of society, children. The EPA has never responded, the suit said.
The EPA establishes maximum residue levels for various types of pesticides on food sold to the public. The Food Quality Protection Act, passed in 1996, requires the agency to take particularly vulnerable groups into account and to set tolerance levels that protect infants and children from harm.
Not so, the agency said in a statement.
"EPA applies rigorous scientific standards in its pesticide tolerance and registration decisions to ensure the protection of human health, including farmworkers and the environment, as well as the safety of the food supply," the EPA said. "We believe that the agency's tolerance and registration decisions are protective of children's health and fully meet the toughest scientific and legal standards under the Food Quality Protection Act."
EPA's response did not mention the 1998 petition seeking special consideration for children of farmworkers. The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the EPA to respond to the petition within 90 days.
The 1998 petition asked the EPA to classify farm children as a group at special risk from pesticides. Such a change, which would take into account the susceptibilities of children's bodies and the pesticides they already encounter in their lives, could lead the agency to lower the maximum residue levels allowed for all consumers.
<< back
The Pistotnik Law Offices handles all personal injury cases including, but not limited to:Large truck accidents, car accidents, injury cases, injury victims, reckless driving, negligence, torts, car accident victims, damages, wrongful death, vehicle accidents, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycle accidents, third party lawsuits, damaged cars, insurance settlements, auto accidents, medical bills, permanent injury, rear-end collisions, liability insurance, property damage, minor injuries, insurance coverage, truck accident, tractor-trailer accidents, paralysis, paralyzed, eaglemed, Lifeflight, Wesley Medical Center, Via Christi, St. Francis hospital.
The Pistotnik Law Offices serves the following areas: Kansas, Southern Kansas, Wichita, Barton County, Butler County, Ellis County, Ford County, Abilene, Colby, Dodge City, Garden City, Goodland, Hays, Hutchinson, Larned, Liberal, Pratt, Russell, Salina, Sedgwick, Hodgemen County, Kiowa County, Meade County, Gray County, Haskell County, Finney County, Seward County, Hamilton County, Scott County, Gove County, Logan County, Edwards County, Pawnee County, Stafford County, Reno County, Harvey County, Marion County, Chase County, & Lyon County
The legal information offered by The Pistotnik Law Offices and contained herein, regarding Kansas legal statutes and Kansas claimants' rights, is general in scope. No legal attorney / client relationship with our attorneys is hereby formed nor is the information herein intended as formal legal advice. Please contact a Kansas lawyer regarding your specific inquiry.See Terms of Use.
|
