CALL TO ACTION:

Thank you all for your ongoing support on AB 405. Today AB 405 sits on the Governor desk awaiting his signature. Please consider sending a letter of support urging him to sign this common sense legislation. Sample letter and background of bill below

For further information please contact: Michael Mendez, Office of Assemblymember Montanez at (916) 319-2039, or Robina Suwol with California Safe Schools (Sponsor) office: (818) 785-5515
fax: 818-787-8965

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The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of California
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

Fax: 916-445-4633


RE: AB 405 (Montanez) -SUPPORT


Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

We write to request that you sign AB 405 (Montanez).

This legislation will protect the health and safety of more than six million school children, and hundreds of thousands of teachers and school employees, by prohibiting experimental or conditional use pesticides in California's K-12 public schools.


Historically, pesticide products that have conditional registration or experimental use permits have been sold and used for years without completing outstanding data requirements. Missing data typically includes the absence of information about metabolic impacts, mechanistic properties, the fate of residue, risk assessment, leaching, receptor dosage, application, and resistance studies.


This lack of data can increase adverse health affects upon children. Children are more susceptible to harm from pesticides than adults. Pesticides contain toxic substances, many of which have a detrimental effect on human health and the environment.

In particular they can have an adverse effect on the developmental health of children. In addition to disrupting immune and reproductive systems, children can suffer neurological damage as a result of pesticide exposure, ironically harming their ability to learn in the institution they are sent to be educated.


AB 405 also prohibits the use of pesticide products on school for which registration has been canceled, suspended, or marked for phase out of use.


Contrary to what you may have heard, AB 405 does not ban bleach, and allows for hundreds of fully registered products being used on school sites,
including products to address all health and safety emergencies.


Thank you very much for your consideration.


Sincerely,
( Name, Organization, Title, Contact Information )

Students and Teachers are NOT Guinea Pigs

WHY AB 405

By: Robina Suwol, California Safe Schools


California law allows pesticide products that do not have full registration and outstanding data requirements to be applied on school sites. This glaring oversight in the law may expose school children, teachers and other members of the public to unknown health risks.

Pesticides contain toxic substances, many of which have a detrimental effect on human health and the environment and, in particular, have a developmental effect on children. Children are more susceptible to hazardous impacts from pesticides than are adults. Currently threshold levels of pesticide exposure and heath studies are based solely on an adult male of approximately 160 pounds.

Historically, pesticide products that have conditional registration or experimental use permits are sold and used for years without completing outstanding data requirements. This significant flaw can allow for chemicals with incomplete testing to be used on school sites, increasing undue exposure potential to pupils.

What AB 405 Does

AB 405 would prohibit the use of experimental or new pesticides without full registration on school sites. Essentially, this bill would prevent school children and teachers from being exposed to experimental and/or insufficiently tested pesticide products.

Additionally, AB 405 prohibits the use of pesticide products on school sites for which registration has been canceled, suspended, or marked for phase out
of use. AB 405 will protect California public K-12 school children, teachers, school workers and community members from products whose full
effects are unknown.

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