Schwarzenegger Signs AB 405: Bill Protects Kids from Exposure to Experimental Pesticides

Schwarzenegger Signs AB 405: Bill Protects Kids from
Exposure to Experimental Pesticides

Kids & Teachers Are NOT Lab Rats!

Sacramento, CA - Governor Schwarzenegger, who has
portrayed heroes on film became a real hero to more
than six million children and hundreds of thousands of
teachers and school employees when he signed Assembly
Bill AB 405, banning the use of experimental
pesticides in California Schools.

AB 405 authored by Assemblymember Cindy Montanez and
sponsored by California Safe Schools, a children's
environmental health organization, is a common sense
bill that prevents K-12 public schools from being used
as test sites for experimental pesticides, and
protects children, teachers and schoolworkers from
being exposed to chemicals whose health effects are
unknown.

"California Safe Schools is extremely grateful to
Governor Schwarzenegger, Assemblymember Montanez, the
California Legislature, and many supporters for
ensuring that California's most vulnerable population
will now be protected," said Robina Suwol, Executive
Director of California Safe Schools, the bill's
sponsor.


To their credit, Los Angeles Unified School District,
second largest school district in the United States,
have already committed to implementing the measures
required by AB 405 and currently employ significant
policies to protect students from chemical exposures.

"The fact that threshold levels of pesticide exposure
and health studies are currently based solely on an
adult male of approximately 160 pounds underscore that
children are counting on adults to protect them. With
the signature of AB 405, we have taken a step toward
fulfilling that responsibility," Suwol said.

The bill's long list of endorsers included :
California Medical Association, California State PTA,
California School Boards Association, California
Teachers Association, Asthma & Allergy Foundation of
America, Los Angeles Unified School District, Learning
& Disabilities Association of America, California
Communities Against Toxics, California
Environmental Rights Alliance, Sierra Club,California
League of Conservation Voters, and the Environmental
Health and the Environmental Justice Community.

Contact: Robina Suwol, Executive Director
California Safe Schools
818-785-5515
http://www.calisafe.org

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