SENATOR ANWAR RAISES HEALTH ALARM AS TRUMP EPA PROMOTES PFAS-LADEN INSECTICIDES

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor), raised the alarm for public health as the Environmental Protection Agency, under the current Trump Administration, continues to consider and potentially support pesticides for crops that would contain PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.”

As exposure to these chemicals has been tied to serious health problems including cancer and birth defects, Sen. Anwar, Senate Chair of the Public Health Committee, has extreme concerns over the approval of insecticides that would directly increase human contact to them.

Under the current Trump administration, the EPA has proposed at least five pesticides’ use that contain PFAS, in opposition to claims made in the 2024 Trump presidential campaign that use of pesticides containing pollutive chemicals would be reined in.

PFAS represents a group of chemicals that are known to not break down when released in an environment, previously used to support materials being resistant to water, stains and grease. They have been linked to serious health conditions when humans come into direct contact with them, including cancer, birth defects and kidney damage.

“Why is the federal government pushing for unsafe materials that were banned in states like our own and that can harm public health to be used on the crops we eat? Lobbyists for pesticide companies are now in leadership positions at the EPA,” said Sen. Anwar. “Yet again, short-sighted emphasis on profit over people runs rampant, with our communities most likely to suffer the consequences. The people of our nation deserve better, and I will remain vocal about these proposals until they are defeated – or, should they go through, take steps to protect food and water supplies here in our state.”

The potential use of PFAS in new pesticides comes despite numerous states, including Connecticut, passing laws to limit or ban their use. In Connecticut, starting in 2028, manufacturers will be required to mark items containing PFAS and many items containing the chemicals will be banned.

The Guardian noted that four of the five pesticides under consideration have ingredients that break down into a PFAS compound, but the EPA’s definition of PFAS omits those compounds. The EPA continues to claim that some of these compounds are not PFAS and “do not pose any risks of concern when used as labeled.”