The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has finalized a new set of pesticide protection laws to be put in place in about 14 months. The last set of rules has been effective since 1992. Employers will now have to train workers on the risks of pesticides annually, and not every five years. Workers will also have to stay farther away from contaminated fields. The farmer will have to keep more specific records. And no one under the age of 18 will be allowed to handle the chemicals. The rules, however, do not go to the extent that some hoped for. For instance, they are not requiring routine medical monitoring of workers that specialize in applying the most dangerous pesticides. However, California and Washington both require this monitoring and with this program they have been able to identify workers that could develop serious health problems. The EPA says that this would cost too much, thus they did not include it in this new set of rules. And these rules will not require for farm owners and their immediate families. This was because the EPA wanted to reduce the burden on small, family-operated farms.
These new rules, in my opinion, prove that the EPA is taking into consideration the idea of properly protecting employers, workers, and the farmers. However, I can see how some farmers are upset that some other ideas didn't make the cut. Additionally, these new rules remind me of the Bill of Rights, because everyone wanted a the initial rules to either change or be improved and the changes/improvements were made after an original document that seemed to do a good job for some, time was rethought.
This is great that EPA is doing something, even if in small quantities. Change comes in small steps, at least we are on the right track.
ReplyDeleteThis is really good! Many of the lower income families must get very dangerous jobs like this in order to support themselves let alone a family. Even young people are doing these possibly life threatening jobs, so its great if they can maybe reduce some of that danger.
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