January 15, 2004

Seattle -- Conservation and pesticide watchdog groups today filed a lawsuit to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from giving illegal special access to a group of chemical corporations.  Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and other sources reveal that the corporate insider group has met regularly with EPA officials in secret and has urged EPA to weaken endangered species protections from pesticides. The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Seattle.  

The chemical companies are pushing EPA to weaken pesticide safeguards by cutting expert biologists in the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries out of consultations determining the effects of pesticides on wildlife.  At the companies' urging, EPA has started a rulemaking to reserve authority over such evaluations to itself. 

"EPA is letting the pesticide industry have inside influence over the fate of endangered species poisoned by toxic pesticides," said Patti Goldman of Earthjustice, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of the conservation and watchdog groups.

"Salmon are suffering from dangerous pesticides in our waters here in Washington," said Erika Schreder of the Washington Toxics Coalition.  "We have a right to be at the table when decisions are being made that affect the safety of our Northwest waters and the health of our salmon runs."

Federal law prohibits the government from using and meeting in secret with such insider groups.  Congress has established good government standards that prevent secret and one-sided advisory bodies of wealthy special interests.  The Federal Advisory Committee Act prohibits the federal government from obtaining advice from committees comprised of only the regulated industry.  That Act also requires that the meetings of advisory groups be open to the public. 

"EPA has an open door policy to the biggest chemical companies in America while excluding the rest of us," said Mike Senatore of Defenders of Wildlife.  "That's not right.  In America all voices are supposed to be heard, not just wealthy interests that make campaign contributions."

In 2000, EPA established this chemical industry group, known as the FIFRA Endangered Species Task Force, to develop data disclosing the locations of endangered species.  The task force is comprised of 14 agro-chemical companies.  It meets regularly with EPA officials in closed meetings and has no public-interest representatives.  Over the past year, the chemical industry task force has shifted its efforts away from generating data to advocating that EPA circumvent the Endangered Species Act for pesticide uses that harm federally protected species.  It has become the chief proponent of new pesticide regulations that would eliminate expert oversight over species protections.  In early 2003, EPA announced its plan to issue such regulations, and it plans to propose new rules soon. 

"For years, EPA has flouted its obligation to protect endangered species from pesticides," said Aaron Colangelo of Natural Resources Defense Council.  "Now that the courts are directing EPA to comply with its duties, the pesticide industry and the Bush Administration have come up with a new trick for delaying species protections."

The lawsuit asks the court to order EPA to commit to bring its actions into compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.  Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Washington Toxics Coalition, and Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, represented by Earthjustice, filed the lawsuit.

The complaint and a list of the chemical companies comprising the illegal advisory committee are available at: www.earthjustice.org/news/display.html?ID=759.

You can also get more details from our fact sheet on this issue, which also includes a list of the chemical companies.

Contact:

Patti Goldman
Earthjustice
206-343-7340 ext. 32

Mike Senatore
Defenders of Wildlife
202-682-9400 ext. 123

Aaron Colangelo
Natural Resources Defense Council
202-289-6868

Peter Galvin
Center for Biological Diversity
707-986-7805

Erika Schreder
Washington Toxics Coalition
206-632-1545 ext. 119

Aimee Code
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
541-344-5044 ext. 27