Attorneys General in fourteen states are formally requesting manufacturers disclose "inert" ingredients in pesticides. Currently, the federal Environmental Protection Agency requires labeling of "active" toxic ingredients that kill insects and weeds. The states contend even inert ingredients in pesticides can pose an undisclosed health hazard.
New York's Attorney General is taking the lead for the states ... saying, "There is no logical reason for EPA to mandate disclosure of those ingredients that harm pests, but exempt from disclosure other ingredients that cause serious health and environmental problems."
The formal request for action could precede a lawsuit. In addition to New York, the other states seeking the expansion of the labeling requirement include Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin.