A proposal would restrain the agency from warning the public on proven toxins.


A new federal proposal could tie the hands of regulators, leaving children and communities exposed to proven toxins for decades.

Section 453 is buried in the U.S. House appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026, which begins Oct. 1. It is a short clause that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from updating pesticide warnings in a timely fashion.

The EPA conducts a full review of the safety of individual chemicals only once every 15 years. Section 453 would lock pesticide safety standards in place between reviews, even if strong new evidence of harm emerges.

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