EPA seeking input on proposed changes to pesticide regulations to protect farmworkers and their families

by | Mar 17, 2014 | Shine a Light On


Harvest_Zulema_TitleThe EPA has proposed updates to the agricultural Worker Protection Standards for the first time in 21 years and is seeking input from the public.

These updates would increase protections from pesticide exposure for the nation’s 2 million agricultural workers and their families. This is an important milestone for farmworkers who plant, tend, and harvest the food we eat. If you want to learn more about the children and families who pick our food, check out our film The Harvest (La Cosecha).

Proposed changes include:

  • Increased frequency of mandatory trainings (from once every five years to annually) to inform farmworkers about the protections they are afforded under the rule, including restrictions on entering pesticide-treated fields and surrounding areas, decontamination supplies, access to information, and use of personal protective equipment.
  • Expanded mandatory posting of no-entry signs for the most hazardous pesticides. No-entry buffer areas surrounding pesticide-treated fields will protect workers and others from exposure from pesticide overspray and fumes.
  • Measures to improve the states’ ability to enforce compliance including requiring employers to keep records of application-specific pesticide information.
  • Personal Protection Equipment (respirator use) must be consistent with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration standards for ensuring respirators are http://asnu.com.au/levitra-20mg/ providing protection, including fit test, medical evaluation, and training.

For more information on the proposed changes and how to submit your comments visit the EPA’s page here. The EPA is seeking public input until May 20, by the date specified in the Federal Register notice, which is published on http://www.regulations.gov identified by docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0184-0002

In Memoriam: U. Roberto Romano

by | Nov 4, 2013 | News, Shine News

Harvest Team 2010

Eva Longoria, Robin Romano, Susan MacLaury, and Albie Hecht at an event for The Harvest in LA in 2010

It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of U. Roberto (Robin) Romano on November 1, 2013.  According to Julia Perez, his Associate Director on The Harvest/La Cosecha, Robin died at home of complications related to Lyme Disease.

Robin was a tireless advocate for vulnerable children.  He documented child labor globally in countries including Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, Mexico, the Ivory Coast and the United States.  He was an accomplished still photographer and his photos are archived at the Human Rights Institute at the University of Connecticut.

Prior to directing and shooting The Harvest/La Cosecha, Robin’s film projects included Death of a Slave Boy, Globalization and Human Rights for PBS, The Dark Side of Chocolate, and the feature documentary, Stolen Childhoods, which led to the Rugmark campaign to counter child labor in the carpet industry through its label certifying that child labor was not used.   Robin was recognized as a global expert on child labor and spoke frequently at conventions, conferences, and as a guest lecturer at universities.

Shine is very grateful to Robin for his hard work on The Harvest/La Cosecha and  the dedication to the child migrants and their families that he demonstrated while shooting it.  He worked under very challenging circumstances with sensitivity and passion and took pride in the film’s contribution to Congressional efforts to pass the CARE Act that would have provided these children additional protections.  We are proud to have worked with him.

There will be a private family service and a later memorial service for Robin, the date of which is not yet determined.