In the Field: Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee in Washington, DC

This week, Amy Liebman, MPA, MA, Director of Environmental and Occupational Health at MCN, is in Washington, DC to serve on the Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee. Liebman is beginning her two-year term as a returning member of the federal advisory committee, which meets regularly with the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs to discuss pesticide policies. Liebman previously served six years on the committee, and is honored to have been nominated and to be returning.

“It’s very important to be at the table,” said Liebman. “We at Migrant Clinicians Network have a unique perspective to bring into the PPDC-- that of clinicians on the ground. Through our constituents, we see the enormous challenges facing farmworkers and their families regarding pesticide overexposure and the personal and public health impact of these exposures.” 

The PPDC is a policy committee made up of various stakeholders. The group provides advice, recommendations, and information to EPA to develop practical, protective approaches regarding pesticide regulatory policy and programs. This meeting included discussions on topics relevant to clinicians and the farmworkers they serve such as the need for clinical diagnostic tools, the newly revised Worker Protection Standard, and pesticide incident reporting.