Booker introduces anti-‘Big Ag’ pesticide liability bill

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is receiving major support from anti-“Big Ag” activist organizations for his newest bill, the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act, which was introduced Thursday.

The bill, which he claims would “ensure that pesticide manufacturers can be held responsible for the harm caused by their toxic products,” has almost 20 organizations lobbying for its passage, including the Environmental Working Group, RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine Children’s Health Defense, Moms Across America, Farm Aid, and the Friends of Earth Action. 

Specifically, this bill would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act of 1972 (FIFRA) to create a federal right of action for anyone who is harmed by a pesticide. “Any person the property or person of which is injured by a pesticide may bring a civil action in Federal district court against a registrant of the pesticide for monetary damages for injury to the property or person caused by the pesticide.”

Booker is using the bill to take aim at the likes of Bayer and Syngenta and at the handful of states that have begun considering legislation that would protect manufacturers from liability if their products are used according to labeled instructions. Booker, however, cites settlements reached in glyphosate and paraquat cases as evidence that manufacturers are concealing knowledge of cancers, birth defects, and other ailments linked to crop protection usage. 

Booker’s news release announcing the new bill didn’t cite the alleged sources that he was referencing. Generally speaking, synthetic pesticides go through more than a decade of research and safety testing before being registered by the federal government and allowed for commercial usage. Organic pesticides don’t encounter that same level of federal or NGO scrutiny, which perhaps highlights why so many organic-centric groups have joined in backing Booker in the extremely competitive (and frankly, expensive) pesticide market.

Regardless, considering the makeup of the current legislature, it’s not likely that this bill will actually advance. But that hasn’t limited the response from activists who are speaking out in favor of the measure. In fact, nearly every news article published the day of the bill’s release was by an outlet with strong ties to organic production and fringe scientific views, suggesting a strategic and coordinated effort was put in motion to promote the bill among its base.

“It is unconscionable that corporations are pushing our elected officials to manipulate laws so that they can avoid accountability for safety and protect their profits over the health and safety of Americans. We must protect the American people from harm — especially from products that are proven to cause infertility, cancer, liver disease, and many other negative health effects,” said Zen Honeycutt, founding executive director of Moms Across America, a longtime anti-GMO and anti-production agriculture organization.

Booker’s news release also prominently noted the fact that many major pesticide manufacturers are “foreign-owned companies,” which seems to leverage the growing xenophobia in the U.S. to help spark an audience for his measure.

At the time of this publication, the bill is no yet being tracked in the U.S. Senate database, and it is unclear when the next action will be taken.