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Don’t Let the Pesticide Industry Gain Control of Pesticide Incident Reporting!
Governor Gregoire is about to appoint two people to the state Pesticide Incident Reporting and Tracking (PIRT) Panel. She is being pressured by agricultural/pesticide groups to appoint individuals who stand to gain from minimizing any information or proposals that restrict pesticide use.
PIRT ALERT!
Governor Gregoire is about to appoint two people to the state Pesticide Incident Reporting and Tracking (PIRT) Panel. She is being pressured by agricultural/pesticide groups to appoint individuals who stand to gain from minimizing any information or proposals that restrict pesticide use. This conflict of interest calls into question the entire mission of PIRT to protect the public health.
She will make a decision soon, and if we don’t take action the pesticide industry may have a good shot at getting their way!
The current PIRT Panel has unanimously recommended that she: 1) reappoint Dr. Steve Gilbert to the toxicology position, and 2) appoint Liesl Zappler to the open public position.
These agricultural/pesticide groups have been attacking Dr. Gilbert and Department of Health staff because of their support for public participation, sound science, and protecting health.
It’s time for us to stand up for the PIRT Panel and for our health!
| Please contact the Governor right away to urge her to adhere to the Panel’s recommendation by appointing Dr. Gilbert and Ms. Zappler. ACT NOW! |
Dr. Gilbert and Ms. Zappler received PIRT’s unanimous recommendation because they are both highly qualified for the positions. Dr. Gilbert is a neurotoxicologist with expertise on environmental health impacts of pesticides who has actively brought relevant scientific studies to PIRT’s attention and has otherwise done an excellent job as a PIRT panel member. Ms. Zappler is an expert horticulturist at the Lake Washington Technical College.
