FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 15, 2004

Contact:
Aimee Code, NCAP (541)349-9519
Kathie Eastman, Press Secretary for Earl Blumenauer, 503-231-6995
Kristie Greco, Press Secretary for Peter DeFazio, 202-226-5740
Patti Goldman, EarthJustice (206) 343-7340 ext. 32

CONGRESS MEMBERS CHALLENGE ADMINISTRATION'S ATTEMPT TO WEAKEN THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

Proposed Rules Remove Science from Pesticide Analysis

Washington, D.C. - Two members of Oregon's Congressional delegation are demanding that the Bush administration halt its rollback of protections for endangered species from pesticides. In a letter signed by 66 members of the House of Representatives, members of Congress urged Secretary of Interior Norton to withdraw proposed regulations that would seriously undermine the Endangered Species Act and negatively impact listed species. Congressional concerns extended beyond wildlife to include human health and specifically farmworkers.

Oregon Representatives Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer signed the letter.

"The proposed changes to endangered species and pesticide regulations are an attack on our nation's fundamental environmental laws. We are learning more and more about the effects of harmful pesticides, both to the natural environment and human health. At a time when asthma and cancer rates are on the rise and we are finding seriously deformed fish in our rivers, we need to be strengthening, not weakening, our environmental laws," said Congressman Earl Blumenauer.

"The Bush administration should let the experts do their job," said DeFazio. "It's important to determine whether certain pesticides are harmful to wildlife and are unnecessarily exposing farming families to dangerous chemicals."

Northwest fishing and environmental groups are concerned that the proposed regulations would threaten the protections for salmon won in landmark court rulings that require the Environmental Protection Agency to take action. Seattle District Judge Coughenour ruled in 2002 and 2004 in favor of the groups, responding to evidence that pesticides pollute salmon streams and that the EPA had failed to protect them.

"The Bush administration is touting this regulatory rollback as efficient, in reality the proposed regulation helps industry profits at the expense of salmon and other species," said Aimee Code, Water Quality Coordinator at the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. "Members of Congress are advocating for the use of the best science to protect endangered species. The administration should heed this sound advice."

The proposed regulations came after conservation groups were successful in a series of lawsuits that were based on EPA's failure to follow the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and determine the impact of pesticides on wildlife by officially seeking input from expert agencies such as National Marine Fisheries Service. Instead of working to comply with the law and protect wildlife, high-level officials at EPA chose to propose new regulations to circumvent the ESA.

The letter, which was spearheaded by Rep. Grijalva (D-AZ), highlights the real threat that the regulations pose to both wildlife and people, particularly farmworkers. The letter states, "The proposed changes would unnecessarily risk both wildlife and public health by exposing animals and humans to highly toxic pesticides when they are most potent and would eliminate necessary interagency checks and balances."

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