Cory Booker Thursday Legislation has been introduced This would create a federal “right to move” that would lead people to sue pesticide manufacturers such as Bayer and Syngenta and others for allegedly causing health problems such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease.
According to the summary of the bill, the Pesticide Injury Liability Act will “ensure pesticide manufacturers are liable for damage caused by their toxic products.” The legislation will be amended to the Federal Insecticides, Fungicides and Rodent Act of 1972 (FIFRA).
If passed, the law will bring Bayer and A alliance Agricultural organizations promote State legislation Preventing individuals from being able to file a lawsuit, accusing companies of failing to warn them of product risks. The industry has also been pushing for federal preemptive litigation protection.
So far, two states – Georgia and North Dakota – The so-called “Shield of Responsibility” law has been passed. The law essentially declares that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees pesticide labeling and state laws and cannot allow companies to warn customers of potential risks due to failure to exceed EPA requirements.
Booker’s proposed law does not invalidate state law, but it will give individuals another option – if they cannot bring it into state court, an injury claim can be filed in federal court.
“Congress should … ensure that the harm caused to these chemical companies in federal courts can be made to toxic products, rather than providing a shield of liability to keep foreign companies poisoned,” Booker said in a statement announcing the bill.
So far, 17 environmental, public health and consumer groups have endorsed the measure, including the Maha Sports (MAHA) campaign.
Zen Honeycutt, founder of moms across the United States and a supporter of Booker’s legislation, said: “The company is pushing our elected officials to manipulate their laws on the health and safety of Americans, which is unreasonable.” She notes that many pesticides widely used in the United States are banned due to their health risks.
The summary name of the bill is based in Germany’s Bayer and China’s Syngenta as key targets and says they and others are seeking “the shield of responsibility because they know the harm their products have caused.”
Bayer purchased Monsanto in 2018 and inherited it A large number of lawsuits In the U.S. alone, nearly 200,000 plaintiffs were involved, all claiming that the company should warn users that its glyphosate-based weed killing products, such as popular review brands, could lead to cancer. The company has paid billions of dollars in settlements and jury awards, but is still facing There are about 67,000 lawsuits.
Similarly, Syngenta faces thousands of lawsuits accusing its Paraquette weed-killing product that causes Parkinson’s disease, while Syngenta should warn users of evidence that prolonged exposure may lead to incurable brain disorders. So far, the company has paid more than $100 million to resolve the case before the trial, and Try to consolidate a broad solution In most cases.
Bayer and his allies believe that their pesticide products are widely used in agriculture and are not only safe but also necessary for food production. They say expensive litigation endangers pesticide availability.
Bayer did not respond to a request for comment on Booker’s proposed legislation.
Syngenta said Booker’s bill “targets U.S. food security” and farmers should not “attack the products they rely on.” The company said U.S. agriculture is “highly regulated, productive and safe” and its specific Paraquette products have not been shown to cause Parkinson’s disease.
This story and New Ryderthe Environmental Working Group’s News Project
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A wellness enthusiast and certified nutrition advisor, Meera covers everything from healthy living tips to medical breakthroughs. Her articles aim to inform and inspire readers to live better every day.
