Dear 5849376, It's staggering: More than 1 billion pounds of dangerous pesticides are used in the production of agricultural crops in the U.S. annually,1 poisoning up to 20,000 farmworkers each year.2 Right now the Environmental Protection Agency is deciding whether to update rules that protect farmworkers from harmful pesticide exposure -- and this critical comment period closes in less than a week. We know that big corporate agribusiness will be piling-on the pressure from the other side. We need to fight back and provide a strong showing of grassroots support for protecting farmworkers from dangerous pesticides. Tell the EPA: Protect farmworkers from cancer-causing pesticides. Submit a public comment now. Previous legislation passed by Congress to protect farmworkers from toxic chemicals has passed, but it hasn't done nearly enough to keep them safe. While the law's original intent was to "protect environment and man," the simple truth is that tens of thousands have since suffered chronic disease, infertility, respiratory problems, and other debilitating ailments. While CREDO opposes the gross overuse of pesticides in modern agriculture, the least the EPA can do is take basic steps to protect farmworkers from being exposed to these toxic chemicals. More protection for workers means greater access to protective equipment, more frequent safety trainings, mandatory entry restrictions on pesticide-treated fields until they are safe, and a first-ever 16-year-old minimum worker age restriction. Large corporate agribusinesses are already lobbying Congress and the Obama administration to block these proposed changes. So it's critical the EPA hears from us before the comment period closes on Monday, August 18. Speak out today in support of millions of farmworkers, including approximately 500,000 child farmworkers,3 who are exposed to cancer-causing chemicals without adequate safeguards to protect their health. Please click the link below to submit your public comment to the EPA and tell it to protect farmworkers from toxic pesticides: http://act.credoaction.com/sign/dont-poison-farmworkers?t=5&akid=11428.3291973.URiObL Thanks for fighting to protect vulnerable farmworkers from dangerous chemicals. Murshed Zaheed, Deputy Political Director CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: Learn more about this campaign 1. "About Pesticides," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2. "Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 3. "Children in the Fields," Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs |