A new lawsuit accuses the Environmental Protection Agency of putting farmworkers in Michigan and other states at increased risk of pesticide exposure. Earthjustice and Farmworker Justice are suing the agency for its failure to issue a notice that updated pesticide training materials are available under the Worker Protection Standard passed in 2015. Earthjustice attorney Hannah Chang tells us the materials have been ready for more than a year, and are needed to protect workers.
“It makes no sense to withhold this type of training from people who really need it, who EPA have recognized need it to protect themselves. I don’t know what their justifications are. I’m sure they’ll provide some. But in the meantime, there are tens of thousands of workers who are not getting the kind of training they should be getting.
In Michigan, the number of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their family members is estimated to be more than 94 thousand. An EPA spokesperson said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. California, Maryland and New York filed similar lawsuits against the E-P-A on Wednesday as well.
