Georgia Senate Bill 144 will give pesticide producers like Bayer and ChemChina liability immunity from lawsuits associated with any adverse health effects or harms to crops or property from their chemicals.
This bill will strip the rights of Georgians. The herbicide Paraquat, which has been linked to Parkinson’s Disease, is produced by ChemChina for the United States, even though it is banned in China. Under this Bill, ChemChina can no longer be sued for knowing the risks of Paraquat exposure, yet will still sell to Americans with no warning
label.
Another example is glyphosate which is produced by the German corporation Bayer. Research indicates that glyphosate exposure is connected to cancer, but because the EPA has been co-opted by the chemical industry, the label doesn’t have an accurate risk warning. Under SB 144, cancer victims will have no path for recourse.
Chemical companies and legislators are claiming that this Bill is pro-farmer, because it protects farmer access to pesticides. This claim is false - farmers deserve to have the right to sue chemical manufacturers when their land, property, or family is injured by chemicals.
Pesticide companies have no incentive to be honest about the risks of their products.
Please veto SB 144, and preserve our rights for healthy farms and communities.
