WASHINGTON— A coalition of environmental and public interest organizations will hold a congressional briefing Wednesday to discuss the devastating impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides. The briefing will feature Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), sponsors of critical legislation to curtail the use of neonicotinoid pesticides: The Saving America’s Pollinators Act (H.R. 1337) and Protect Our Refuges Act (H.R. 2854). Expert panelists will discuss neonicotinoids’ harmful impacts to pollinators and wildlife generally, as well as the human health concerns associated with their use.
WHAT: Congressional briefing on the impacts of toxic pesticides
WHO: Beyond Pesticides, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, Earthjustice, Endangered Species Coalition, Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
SPEAKERS:
Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
Jonathan Lundgren, PhD, Blue Dasher Research and Demonstration Farm, South Dakota - “Neonicotinoid impacts to pollinators and to large vertebrate wildlife, including new research on harm to white-tailed deer”
Pierre Mineau, PhD, Mineau Consulting, British Columbia - “Neonicotinoid insecticides’ harms to birds, bats and other fauna”
Jennifer Sass, PhD, Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, DC - “Human health concerns with neonicotinoid pesticides”
Moderator: Peter Jenkins, PEER
Members of Congress TBD
WHEN: Wednesday, October 16, 2019, 12:00pm – 1:15pm
WHERE: 2044 Rayburn House Office Building
The Briefing will be repeated for Senate personnel on the same day from 3:00 to 4:15 in the Dirksen Building, SD-G11; this event is open to all.
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Friends of the Earth fights to create a more healthy and just world. Our current campaigns focus on promoting clean energy and solutions to climate change, ensuring the food we eat and products we use are safe and sustainable, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) protects public employees who protect our environment. We are a service organization for local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement officers, scientists, land managers and other professionals dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values. Through PEER, public servants can choose to work as “anonymous activists” so that public agencies must confront the message, rather than the messenger.