Beyond Toxics’ idea to ask local governments to ban neonicotinoids started in Eugene with our proposal to the City Council. You remember...Eugene became “America’s Most Bee Friendly City!” in the early part of last year. Then the idea spread to Seattle, Spokane and Sacramento, as well as towns in Alaska, Minnesota and other states.
And today, the big news is that the Portland, Oregon has made good on their promise to Protect Portland’s Pollinators!
On March 12th, Beyond Toxics and our partners in the Oregon Conservation Network hosted the first ever Oregon Legislative Briefing on Herbicides and Health. Over fifty Oregonians came from communities across the state to talk to their legislators about gaps in the Oregon Forest Practices Act that leave homes, schools and drinking water unprotected from pesticide drift, run-off and volatilization.
Today, the announcement was made that the Oregon Legislature will take up a bill to address forestry chemical use.
Two courageous Oregon legislators, and seven other co-sponsors, filed a bill to protect the health of rural Oregonians living near industrial forests and farm land. When I first read the text of SB 613, the Public Health and Water Resources Protection Act, my eyes started to tear up. I thought of the heartbreaking journey that pesticide drift victims have traveled to arrive at this moment.
It started eighteen months ago, when a group of passionate and dedicated bee keepers came to the Beyond Toxics office to talk with us about the bees. They were well informed and brought published studies revealing the role pesticides play in the demise of honey bee colonies.
Our freedoms come with responsibilities when our actions may affect, directly or indirectly, people’s welfare and the environment. The responsible person asks the question of what is at risk. We think that Oregonians want responsible legislation that helps prevent unintended harm and death to the hard working bees that make home gardens and bountiful harvests possible.
The Legislative hearing on Bee Health and Pesticide Use on November 21 was an important milestone. Lawmakers heard from a number of panelists that pesticides are harming bees.
Protecting human health has always been a race between action and disaster. Consider how long society waited to remove lead from gasoline and paint, and the disaster that inaction inflicted upon generations of children and their brain development. As our technologies race ahead of our prudence, we’ve learned that local actions can have universal ramifications, for better or worse.
WE DID IT! The Safe Public Places Bill has passed in both chambers of the Oregon Legislature and will be signed into law this week! What a sweet victory!
No exaggeration! Beyond Toxics researched the issue, wrote the language and fought hard to pass both bills that reduce pesticides in Oregon.
In a letter to the legislature, 15 of our local PeaceHealth pediatricians signed a statement in support of HB 3364, Beyond Toxics’ bill to protect kids, elders, and our fragile ecosystem from pesticides!
Good on our local pediatricians! Let’s applaud their strong and vocal stance to protect children!
Beyond Toxics is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all contributions are fully tax-deductible.
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Lane County Office
120 Shelton McMurphey Blvd.
Suite 280
Eugene, OR 97401
+1 (541) 465-8860
Jackson County Office
312 N. Main St., Suite B
Phoenix, Oregon 97535
+1 (541) 465-8860 ext. 2
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 1106
Eugene, OR 97440
Hours
Daily: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed