Esteban Torres: “all of the Members of this body received a letter this week from the National Association of State Departments of…”

“all of the Members of this body received a letter this week from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture [NASDA] which states that EPA's farmworker protection standards for pesticides were prepared without a cost-benefit analysis. For this reason, they state, we should vote to defeat the rule. This is absolutely incorrect. I am here not only as a Member of Congress, but also as the son and grandson of farmworkers, and I have never known the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture to fight for additional farmworker protection standards. You and I know that workers need protection from chemical exposure. EPA worked for 10 long hard years in developing the farmworker protection standards. Their work included a well-documented regulatory impact analysis; it thoroughly examined the costs and benefits; it complied with all regulatory Executive orders and it is part of the public record. What more does industry want? I am convinced that they want to defeat this rule so that they can attach a provision to the Department of Environmental Protection Act that would prevent the new Department from ever coming to any conclusions and issuing any regulations. We can't allow this to happen. EPA does intensive risk analysis now. There is no need to cement in statute further requirements which will ultimately hamper EPA from protecting our health and the environment. I urge my colleagues to support the rule.”