VICTORY to STOP chlorpyrifos use!

After nearly three years of advocacy work, in alliance with PCUN, Oregon’s farm worker union, the Oregon Department of Agriculture has adopted a new set of laws to immediately restrict the use of chlorpyrifos! The broad coalition organized by Beyond Toxics and PCUN, mobilized hundreds of comments and worked closely with the agency to eliminate barriers to public participation to ensure that farmworkers and impacted members of the public could make their voices heard.

Chlorpyrifos is an insecticide that damages the brains of infants and children, and can cause neurological harm, cancer and other serious impacts. Unsafe levels of residues are found in drinking water and common foods such as beans, vegetables and fruit. Research overwhelmingly shows that chlorpyrifos kills and harm bees, butterflies, and birds and is a serious threat to our food, public health, and wildlife.

Hawaii, California, New York and Maryland have taken action to ban or severely restrict chlorpyrifos. Oregon must take action, but the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s proposed rules on chlorpyrifos need to be stronger! We need your help to pass effective rules. Please send your written comments or speak at one of two remaining virtual public hearings in August. If you can’t make it to one of those hearings, see below for public comment details, our policy analysis and suggested talking points.