Annapolis, MD —

Today, the Maryland Pesticide Education Network, in partnership with Earthjustice and a broad coalition of farmers, scientists, public health experts, businesses, and advocates, petitioned the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to comply with state law by creating a comprehensive pesticide data program to increase pesticide use transparency.

The petition urges MDA to create a comprehensive pesticide data program requiring farmers who apply restricted use pesticides, public agencies, pest control businesses, and sellers and distributors of restricted-use pesticides, to submit their pesticide records to MDA annually. The program would require MDA to make granular data — including the date, zip code, and amount of each pesticide application and sale — publicly available, while protecting the anonymity of recordkeepers.

“The requested program would help Marylanders identify and address harms from pesticides and position Maryland as a leader in pesticide data transparency,” said Earthjustice Attorney Kara Goad. “MDA has the tools it needs to collect comprehensive pesticide data, and it is past time for it to do so.”

Adopting the requested program would bring MDA into compliance with Maryland law, which has required MDA to develop a comprehensive pesticide data program since 1989. A 2014 law provided funding for MDA to collect, analyze, and report pesticide use data. But the agency has failed to create the required program. MDA’s current data collection lack the detail, scope, and up-to-date information necessary to provide comprehensive pesticide data.

“Easily accessible and up-to-date information about pesticide use would help our public health and medical professionals trace and treat pesticide exposure, allow scientists to better study the effects of pesticide use, enable legislators to evaluate the risks of pesticides, and aid farmers and other applicators in improving the efficacy and safety of their pest management,” said Ruth Berlin, executive director of the Maryland Pesticide Education Network. “Collecting this data, while crucial to the health of all, is especially important in light of the threats pesticides pose to our most vulnerable populations, including developing fetuses, newborns, and children, as well as elderly people, people challenged with serious health complications, and people living in overburdened communities,” she said.

Pesticides cause serious harm to public health, wildlife, and the environment. In humans, pesticide exposure is associated with acute symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and headaches, as well as chronic and life-threatening conditions, including cancer and reproductive, respiratory, neurological, and developmental disorders. Numerous studies show that pesticide exposure disproportionately burdens communities of color and low-income communities. Pesticides can also harm beneficial insects, aquatic life, birds, and other wildlife and can contaminate soil and waterways.

Pesticide data is critical to addressing these far-reaching harms, including the alarming decline of honeybee populations. In Maryland alone, honeybee populations have experienced an annual loss of about 50% — a devastating blow considering honeybees’ role in pollinating crops that contribute to more than half of the United States’ $29 billion annual agriculture industry. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more information about pesticide application and pollinators’ exposure is key to reversing these trends. Comprehensive pesticide data would also help farmers tackle pesticide-related issues like pest and weed resistance, ensuring safer and more effective pest management.

Maryland law gives MDA 60 days to decide whether to grant or deny the petition.

The 50 petitioners are:

A.I.R. Lawncare & Landscaping Services; Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments; American Bird Conservancy; Laura Anderko, PhD, RN; Assateague Coastal Trust; Audubon Mid-Atlantic; Bee Friendly Apiary; Beyond Pesticides; Linda S. Birnbaum, PhD; Butterbee Farm; CATA – The Farmworkers Support Committee; Caitlin Ceryes, PhD, MPH, RN; Charm City Meadworks; Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility; Clean Water Action; Cottingham Farm LLC; Earthjustice; Environmental Working Group; The Farm at Our House; Farmworker Justice; Forested; Friends of the Earth; Friends of the Nanticoke River; GreenLatinos; Heathcote Community; Michael Ichniowski, MD; Karen Knee, PhD; Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc, FAAP; Latino Farmers & Ranchers International, Inc.; Magothy River Association; Maryland Conservation Council; Maryland Ornithological Society; Maryland Pesticide Education Network; Maryland Votes for Animals, Inc.; Mason Farms Produce LLC; Migrant Clinicians Network; Montgomery Countryside Alliance; Moon Valley Farm; Next Step Produce; Potomac Riverkeeper Network; Provident Farm; Queen Anne’s Conservation Association; Rachel Carson Council; Christopher Rowe, PhD; Ana M. Rule, PhD; Susan Schreier, PhD; Brian S. Schwartz, MD, MS; Waterkeepers Chesapeake; Wicomico Environmental Trust; and Benjamin Zaitchik, PhD.