Washington, DC – Today, the EPA released the first update to the agricultural worker protections standards in 22 years. In response, LCV Chíspa National Director Jennifer Allen issued the following statement:

“This is an incredibly important step forward for environmental justice, protecting the health of our nation’s farmworkers and the Latino community, who have been needlessly exposed to dangerous pesticides that poison tens of thousands of workers every year. Many of the provisions in the new standards, like prohibiting children under the age of 18 from applying pesticides and requiring annual trainings for workers, will go a long way to ensuring farmworkers enjoy the same level of protections as workers in other professions. While we had hoped that the EPA would establish even stronger protections, we thank the administration for updating these standards and protecting the health of all of our nation’s families.”

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