Pesticide Immunity Bill Myths

Vote No on Foreign Chemical Company Immunity Bill

Foreign chemical companies based in Berlin and Beijing are pushing legislation in states to give themselves immunity for misbranding pesticides and hurting farmers. This is what these bills will do:

• Kills Accountability: It blocks accountability against foreign pesticide companies—even if they lie to the EPA or hide evidence of health or property damage risks.
• Leaves Farmers Unprotected: Farmers who get cancer, Parkinson’s, or see their crops destroyed by misbranded pesticides will have no path to hold the company accountable.
• Empowers Foreign Interests: It would shield ChemChina, a Chinese military-owned company, and Bayer, who counts its profits in Euros, from accountability if their products harm Americans.
• Proponents of this bill cannot defend it on the merits, so they rely on lies.

Let’s correct the record:

Myth #1: “The bill only clarifies the EPA label is the official warning.”

Fact: It strips away farmers’ ability to hold companies accountable when pesticides are misbranded. Even Senator Watson admitted: “The manufacturer cannot be held liable for failing to warn consumers of any product.” If foreign chemical companies lie to the EPA, the passage of these bills lets them off the hook.

Myth #2: “FIFRA law supports this.”

Fact: FIFRA does not allow companies to misbrand or hide risks. This bill removes farmers' and families' only path to accountability when pesticides are unlawfully misbranded. If this bill were to become law and a chemical company deceives the EPA, injured farmers would have no recourse.

Myth #3: “This ensures label consistency.”

Fact: Labels should be updated as new science emerges, but this bill stops that process. Under this bill, if a company knows that the EPA label is outdated or based on false info, there’s no penalty for the manufacturer when people get hurt or crops are destroyed. These bills gives permission to cover up.

Myth #4: “It’s just about legal certainty.”

Fact: It gives ‘certainty’ by giving immunity. States shouldn’t remove the right to hold chemical companies accountable or trust the EPA—alone—to protect Georgians. No accountability means more risk to Georgians.

Myth #5: “Future pesticides will be safe.”

Fact: If new evidence proves a pesticide is harmful, the company shouldn’t be able to hide behind an outdated label. This bill means no updates, no consequences—and farmers pay the price.

Myth #6: “Isn’t this all about glyphosate?”

Fact: This bill benefits ChemChina. The Pentagon calls ChemChina a “Chinese Military Company.” ChemChina’s sells paraquat to Americans, but it is banned in China and 70 other countries for links to Parkinson’s disease.

Myth #7: “Misbranded pesticide disasters are hypothetical, so this bill won’t hurt real farmers.”

Fact: In 2017 misbranded dicamba destroyed 3.6 million acres of soybeans, proving how badly farmers suffer when companies hide risks and misbrand pesticides.

Myth #8: “EPA approval alone guarantees the label is valid and safe.”

Fact: The EPA does not do its own studies and heavily relies on corporate-supplied data, meaning hidden dangers often come to light after harm—these bills aim to block accountability for hidden dangers.

Myth #9: “Property rights are untouched by this legislation.

Fact: If a misbranded pesticide drifts and devastates crops, or hidden dangers damage farmers or their families, these bills deny them the right to hold companies accountable, ripping away core protections.

Myth #10: “No one opposes this bill.”

Fact: Polling shows 89% of Americans (and 84% of farmers) oppose immunity for chemical companies, revealing near-universal demand for accountability when products are misbranded.

Myth #11: “This is about protecting U.S. businesses from frivolous lawsuits.”

Fact (single sentence): Foreign corporations like ChemChina (linked to the Chinese military) and Bayer benefit most, leaving farmers defenseless when foreign companies cause harm.

Bottom Line: This bill puts corporate profits—and foreign interests—ahead of our farmers and families. It destroys a vital check on chemical companies and undermines our state’s sovereignty.