Pesticide protections in the crosshairs

Two major battles over pesticide policy are unfolding at the federal level, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.  The dispute: Can states protect their citizens from pesticide harms beyond what federal law requires, or will that authority be stripped away? These are the urgent questions that a pending Supreme Court case and a fight over the farm bill could play major roles in answering. The chemical at the center of all of this? Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup and the keystone product of the Bayer-Monsanto corporation. Critics of the controversial weedkiller link it to a number of health harms through exposure.  To help unravel the legal docket, Ken is joined by Chuck Benbrook, Ph. D. He has worked on pesticide issues in roles during the Carter administration, for Congress and with the National Academy of Sciences, and has served as an expert witness in many of the cases he and Ken discuss.  Benbrook is urging the Supreme Court to preserve the right of states to hold pesticide companies accountable when federal regulators fall short. For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Why HHRA’s Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court in Opposition to Preemption? Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.   @kencookspodcast   www.ewg.org   @environmentalworkinggroup