Press Release January 29, 1998	Contact: 202/462-6262 Jeannine Kenney, keenje@consumer.org Kathleen McShea, mcshka@consumer.org Consumer Union Washington, D. C. Office

Consumers Union Says New Pesticides Report "A Call to Action"

WASHINGTON -- Jeannine Kenney, a policy analyst at the Washington, D.C. Office of Consumers Union, issued the following statement reacting to a new report by the Environmental Working Group, Overexposed: Organophosphate Insecticides in Children's Food:

"When parents go to the supermarket, they should not fear that the food they put in their grocery cart could cause harm to them or their children. However this report sounds an alarm bell for parents and the government alike and demands immediate attention by top officials at the Environmental Protection Agency. The finding that so many children are exposed to residues of the riskiest pesticides at levels that may not be safe for adults, let alone children, is a serious public health concern.

"Current law requires the EPA to set acceptable pesticide residue limits to account for the unique vulnerability of infants and children to the toxic effects of these poisons. To date, EPA has only done this for only a limited number of pesticides. This report should be a call to action. EPA should reject efforts by some on Capitol Hill to delay this vital work and instead move swiftly to protect the hundreds of thousands of children that appear to be at risk every day based on this report's findings."