Save Northern Leopard Frogs and Protect Human Health
- signatures:
- deadline: June 29, 2009
- signature goal: 5,000
- Target: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson
- Sponsored by: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund
Endosulfan is a deadly poison that has been banned across the European Union and in many other countries, but not the U.S. This deadly poison is extremely dangerous for frogs, birds… and even people who are exposed to it.
Even low doses of endosulfan can be fatal to species like the threatened northern leopard frog, which is already in decline. In humans, endosulfan can cause birth defects and other health risks. In extreme cases, endosulphan exposure can cause unconsciousness and even death.
The U.S. has yet to take endosulfan off the market, but with your help we can change things for northern leopard frogs, farm workers and others threatened by this dangerous pesticide.
The deadline for public comments is Monday, June 29. Please urge the EPA to help protect our health, our environment and our frogs by banning endosulfan.
Note: Your signature will be visible on erulemaking.gov. Thanks for taking action!
Dear EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson,
As someone who cares about protecting human health and our environment, I strongly urge the Environmental Protection Agency to take swift action to cancel all remaining uses of endosulfan and revoke all food residue tolerances for this toxic chemical.
[Your personalized comments will be added to the letter here.]
As you know, endosulfan is a neurotoxic organochlorine pesticide -- similar to DDT and other insecticides that have been banned in the U.S. for decades. Like these other pesticides, endosulfan has a wide range of environmental and health risks to wildlife and people.
Threatened northern leopard frogs are especially vulnerable to its effects. In one recent scientific study, even a low dose of endosulfan was enough to kill 84% of leopard frog tadpoles that came in contact with it. According to the study's lead author, Rick Relyea, "Endosulfan appears to be about 1,000-times more lethal to amphibians than other pesticides that we have examined."
But the environmental threat of endosulfan is even more far-reaching. Endosulfan is highly toxic to birds, aquatic fauna -- both vertebrate (fish, amphibians) and invertebrates (mollusks, insects, gastropods) -- and mammals. Endosulfan has even been detected in arctic ice and snow samples, showing just how persistent this deadly poison is.
Even worse, as the Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 study shows, endosulfan poses unacceptable health risks to farm workers and those who apply this deadly poison. Even at low levels, it has been linked to hormone disruption, male reproductive harm, autism, and birth defects. At higher levels, endosulfan can cause headaches, vomiting, convulsions, and in extreme cases, unconsciousness and even death.
For all of these reasons, I urge you to move as quickly as possibly to get endosulfan off the market. The risks to our health and to our wildlife are simply too great to allow its continued use.
Thank you for considering my comments.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
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