“President Obama has called closing gaps of opportunity a defining challenge of our time; meeting that challenge means ensuring healthy work environments for all Americans, especially those in our nation’s vulnerable communities,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said. “We depend on farmworkers every day to help put the food we eat on America’s dinner tables — and they deserve fair, equitable working standards with strong health and safety protections. With these updates, we can protect workers, while at the same time preserve the strong traditions of our family farms and ensure the continued the growth of our agricultural economy.”
The EPA’s revisions were developed with input from industry stakeholders and state and federal partners and include measures such as requiring annual safety training, preventing minors from handling pesticides and making workers aware of the protections provided by the standards.
“No one should ever have to risk their lives for their livelihoods, but far too many workers, especially those who work in agriculture, face conditions that challenge their health and safety every day,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez said.
EPA testimony statements can be found at www.epa.gov.
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