VAN NUYS, CA. - Parents, students and community members, some traveling hundreds of miles to attend, gathered at Van Nuys High School Auditorium

last week to hear a panel of celebrated experts in the field of children's environmental health speak about the hidden dangers of pesticides, and to urge the passage of AB 405, legislation that will end the use of experimental pesticides in K-12 public schools throughout California.

AB 405, is a common sense bill that prevents K-12 public schools from being used as test sites for experimental pesticides, and protects children,

teachers and school workers from being poisoned by chemicals who health effects are unknown. The bill authored by California Assemblymember Cindy

Montanez, and sponsored by California Safe Schools, was passed by both the Senate and Assembly last session and continues to gain tremendous public and political support.



AB 405 would prevent the use of chemicals on schools grounds that have incomplete data as required under current regulations. This missing data typically includes information about metabolic impacts, mechanistic properties, the fate of residue, risk assessment, efficacy, leaching, stability, receptor dosage, application, and resistance studies.

Experts confirmed in great detail that AB 405 does not financially impact school districts, the state of California, or industry, and continues to allow the use of hundreds of products that might be necessary to respond to any health or safety emergency from pests in schools.




Panelist included: Dr. Harvey Karp,internationally celebrated pediatrician and author, Actor and Environmentalist Ed Begley Jr, Boardmember Julie

Korenstein, of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Mitzi Shpak, a Caltech Microbiologist (Genetics), Adrian Martinez of the Natural Resource Defense Council,Rangell Oruga, American Lung Association of Los Angeles, Anaí Ibarra-López, Coalition for Clean Air, Darryl Molina, Communities for a Better Environment, Melissa Burch, Physicians for Social Responsibility and Rita Loof, Parent Activist from Upland , California.

Innovative Visuals :

Diana Dixon Davis, representing the PTA displayed three mock-up bottles of products that under current law can legally be used on school campuses. The crowd roared with applause when she asked, “Governor, which of these experimental products would you like sprayed on your children?"

Another favorite was a large 7 ft. rat stand up display which read: Kids & Teachers Are Not Lab Rats! Cut-outs in the rat faces, allowed students and teachers to don rat noses, and photographed as billowing smoke flowed all around.

Jackie Cambas a parent who has been following the AB 405 legislation commented: "Who's kidding who? Experimental & Conditionally registered pesticides are the same. When health effects studies are missing for these chemicals , we are all lab rats and guinea pigs for the chemical industry. Our Governor plays characters who protect children on the big screen. I hope and pray he protects the more than 6 million kids, and hundreds of thousands of teachers and school employees who are impacted by this loophole in current law."

Supporters include the California Medical Association, California Teachers Association, California School Boards Association, California State PTA, Learning Disabilities Association of California, Los Angeles Unified School District, United Teachers of Los Angeles, American Lung Association of Los Angeles, Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, Organic Consumers, Sierra Club, and the Environmental Health & Environmental Justice community.

PLEASE CONTACT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND URGE HIM TO PROTECT KIDS' HEALTH BY SIGNING AB 405.



Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

State Capitol Building

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: 916-445-2841

Fax: 916-445-4633

email: governor@governor.ca.gov