April 11, 2023

Greetings!

We did it! We’re thrilled to report a WIN in the Maryland General Assembly for our PFAS in pesticides battle! Read the press release. Though we did not achieve a ban this year, legislators took an important step by passing an amended SB158/HB319 that will institute a 6-month three-agency study (Md Depts. of Agriculture, Environment and Health in consultation with EPA) beginning in June to answer questions that opponents used to confuse legislators concerning currently existing testing methods for PFAS in pesticides.

Working with advocates, Senate Education, Energy & Environment (EEE) Committee Chair Brian Feldman drafted the amended bill and hailed it as an important step for Maryland toward passing a strong ban bill in 2024, saying it will be “a model for the country, that is the vision.” We want to thank our hard-working SB158/HB319 bill sponsors Senator Shelly Hettleman and Delegate Dana Stein and all the legislators of the MGA, who passed the bill in the House and Senate chambers! Our Smart on Pesticides Coalition diligently worked as a coordinated team, to amplify the need to ban PFAS in pesticides to key legislators and most importantly, to alert the public to this critical issue.

Our greatest thanks go to all of you Marylanders, who clicked to send emails and made calls to your legislators – this is the ultimate power that moved the bill forward. We sincerely thank you for your support and advocacy that passed this important bill! Congratulations! Here’s a worthwhile 5-minute WJLA_TV segment for you to view about the importance of this effort!

This month’s newsletter includes important new data, like PFAS in your toilet paper and which brands have the lowest levels, to how the agro-chem industry claims certain of ways of using pesticides are good for mitigating climate change… better living through chemistry folks!