Login
Ventura County Lawsuit Accuses Driscoll’s of Ignoring Pesticide Laws
Sitting in his attorney’s Camarillo office in December, David Harada explained his decision to initiate a legal battle with one of the world’s largest berry companies.
He couldn’t live with himself, he said, if he didn’t expose how Driscoll’s had prioritized profits over the health of consumers around the world and farms across California.
On June 24, the former Driscoll’s employee filed a lawsuit in Ventura County Superior Court, accusing the company of retaliating against him after he disclosed to his superiors that it was selling produce in violation of state and federal pesticide regulations and Canadian food safety regulations. Harada contends that when he refused to participate in the concealment of information from the public, he was forced to resign.
The 27-page document, which alleges unlawful retaliation in violation of California Labor Code and wrongful termination in violation of public policy, demands unspecified damages and a jury trial. “I want agriculture to continue in Ventura County and California for as long as possible, but when we make these kinds of mistakes, it gets cast in such a negative light,” the Camarillo resident said in a December interview. “I hope for change.”
Studies Cite Childhood Cancers Linked to Parental and Residential Pesticide Exposure
A review in the International Journal of Cancer links pesticide exposure, particularly in areas with high agricultural crop density, to increased risks for childhood cancers. The team of researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska Medical Center, in analyzing epidemiologic studies published between January 1980 and September 2022, says that “this scoping review affirms that a robust body of epidemiology literature already informs how parental and childhood exposure to environmental chemical exposures can be associated with children’s incidence of pediatric leukemia and brain cancer.”
The scientific literature shows that pediatric cancer, which is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children, is associated with exposure to residential pesticides, pesticides ingested through drinking water, parental exposure, and in areas with close proximity to agricultural areas where pesticides are used.
According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, over 15,000 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year, with pediatric cancer as the second leading cause of death in children 5–9 years of age and the third leading cause of death in children ages 10–14. (See here.)
In agricultural states, such as Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri, incidence rates for pediatric cancer are increasing. This also places an economic burden on families, as the “total cost incurred for one child with cancer can approach a million dollars when accounting for medical expenses and lost parental income.”
Common Pesticide Linked to More Than Double the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
A widely used pesticide may play a significant role in Parkinson’s disease, according to new research from UCLA. The study found a more than 2.5-fold increase in risk among people with long-term exposure and uncovered a biological mechanism showing how the chemical harms key brain cells.
A widely used agricultural pesticide may pose a greater threat to brain health than previously recognized. Researchers at UCLA Health report that long-term exposure to chlorpyrifos near the home is associated with a more than 2.5-fold increase in the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
The study, published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, combined evidence from hundreds of people with laboratory experiments designed to uncover exactly how the pesticide affects the brain. The results suggest that chlorpyrifos can damage critical nerve cells involved in movement and may play a direct role in the development of Parkinson’s disease.
EPA Sued Over Public Records Request for Nitrate Research
Iowa Capital Dispatch reported:
The environmental group Food & Water Watch is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to supply requested information about a nitrate assessment. Food & Water Watch allege the “apparently scuttled” assessment would have provided EPA with the research necessary to update drinking water standards for nitrate and nitrite.
The group alleges the current standards are “far too lax” to protect against the health threats — like an increased risk of certain cancers, thyroid disease and birth defects — that some research holds are linked to nitrate and nitrite exposure in drinking water at levels below the EPA standards.
Per the complaint, Food & Water Watch submitted a request in August 2025 under the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, for information on the status of an EPA assessment of the human health impacts of the oral consumption of nitrate and nitrite.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., alleges EPA has not made a determination in the request, released any documents or provided a timeline to commit to the request.
Coastal Alabama Town Alleges ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination of Drinking Water
Grand Bay Water Works, the utility that provides drinking water for the south Mobile County town, is suing corporate giants 3M, DuPont and Waste Management, among others, alleging its drinking water is contaminated with PFAS, called “forever chemicals.”
Next month, a federal judge will determine if the case will proceed in federal court or be returned to Mobile County Circuit Court. The suit was filed in April.
“The same chemical properties that make PFAS profitable for the PFAS manufacturers are the properties that make PFAS dangerous to humans,” Grand Bay’s complaint reads. “The PFAS manufacturers and the other defendants in this case have all caused or contributed to — and continue to cause or contribute to — the invasion and contamination by toxic PFAS chemicals of the drinking water supply in and near the Grand Bay community.”
Data Centres Emitting More CO2 Than Thought: Study
Data centres, whose expansion is being fuelled dramatically by the artificial intelligence boom, have a far bigger carbon footprint than previously estimated, a study said Tuesday. The sprawling, power-hungry sites, used to store critical IT infrastructure like servers, are being built worldwide by companies and countries as AI applications gobble ever greater computing power.
This has helped to boost their greenhouse gas emissions, with a new study by Allianz Trade estimating the centres emitted 286 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2025.
This is 57 percent higher than estimates by the International Energy Agency, according to the group, which is the trade credit insurance arm of global insurer Allianz.
AI already accounts for between 15 and 20 percent of electricity consumption at data centres, and this share could climb to 40 percent by 2030, the report said.
Common Pesticide Alters Bumblebee Genes, Threatening Future Pollination
Scientists have uncovered molecular changes in bumblebees exposed to a common pesticide, revealing potential links between crop protection practices and pollinator health. Every bite of fruit, vegetable, or seed crop may owe something to a bee.
Pollinators are responsible for helping many of the world’s food crops reproduce, making them a cornerstone of modern agriculture. Yet the same farming tools used to protect harvests can sometimes put these essential insects at risk.
One pesticide drawing increasing attention from researchers is sulfoxaflor. Introduced in 2013, the chemical is widely used to control sap-feeding pests such as aphids that damage crops, including corn and soybeans. While it can be highly effective against agricultural pests, studies have shown that it is also toxic to bees. Researchers are still investigating how exposure to low levels of the chemical influences bee reproduction at the molecular level.
