I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5124 

To prohibit the use, production, sale, importation, or exportation of any 

pesticide containing atrazine. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 22, 2010 

Mr. ELLISON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and 

Commerce, Ways and Means, and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 

such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To prohibit the use, production, sale, importation, or 

exportation of any pesticide containing atrazine. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) The United States annually uses 60 to 80 

6 million pounds of atrazine, a weed killing pesticide. 

7 (2) The toxicity of atrazine is well documented 

8 and has shown to have adverse endocrine effects in 

9 amphibians, mammals, and humans. There is eviVerDate Nov 24 2008 19:15 Apr 23, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5124.IH H5124

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1 dence in humans that atrazine exposure is associated 

2 with low sperm counts and poor motility in exposed 

3 adult men, and that pre-birth atrazine exposure is 

4 associated with small birth weight and abnormal de5 velopment of the gut wall in infants. In laboratory 

6 mammals, exposure is associated with abnormal re7 productive system development, impaired prostate 

8 gland formation, and abnormal breast tissue devel9 opment. In aquatic wildlife, exposure is associated 

10 with abnormal reproductive system development, im11 paired reproduction, and impaired immune system 

12 function. 

13 (3) The United States Fish and Wildlife Service 

14 acknowledge that atrazine may have potential ad15 verse effects on fish, such as organ tissue disease, 

16 disruption to endocrine and olfactory systems, and 

17 reduced reproductive function. 

18 (4) The United States Geological Survey found 

19 atrazine in approximately 75 percent of stream wa20 ters and 40 percent of all groundwater samples from 

21 agricultural areas tested. According to data from the 

22 Environmental Protection Agency Ecological Water23 shed Monitoring Program, the surface water sam24 pled in the Midwestern and Southern United States 

25 suffers from pervasive atrazine contamination. SamVerDate Nov 24 2008 19:15 Apr 23, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5124.IH H5124

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1 pling of watersheds between 2004 and 2006 showed 

2 that all 40 watersheds tested had detectable levels of 

3 atrazine and 25 watersheds had average concentra4 tions above 1 ppb. While these average elevated con5 centrations of atrazine are worrisome, high peak 

6 concentrations may also be dangerous. Nine water7 sheds had at least one sample showing levels above 

8 50 ppb, and four watersheds had levels above 100 

9 ppb. 

10 (5) According to data from the Environmental 

11 Protection Agency Atrazine Monitoring Program, 

12 high levels of atrazine are also evident in drinking 

13 water systems. More than 90 percent of the samples 

14 taken in 139 water systems had measurable levels of 

15 atrazine in both 2003 and 2004. Three systems had 

16 annual averages exceeding 3 ppb. 

17 (6) In 1991, Germany and Italy banned the use 

18 of atrazine. In 2003, European regulators an19 nounced a ban on the pesticide throughout the Euro20 pean Union. 

21 (7) The Department of Agriculture estimates 

22 that a ban on atrazine would result in crop losses of 

23 only 1.19 percent and decrease corn acreage by only 

24 2.3 percent. Since banning atrazine nearly 20 years 

25 ago, both Italy and Germany have not experienced 


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1 a reduction of corn productivity or total acreage of 

2 land in production. 

3 SEC. 2. ATRAZINE PROHIBITION. 

4 Notwithstanding any other law, the use, production, 

5 sale, importation, or exportation of atrazine or an atrazine 

6 product is prohibited. 

7 SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT. 

8 Any person who violates section 2 shall be fined 

9 under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned not 

10 more than 2 years, or both. 

11 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

12 In this Act: 

13 (1) ATRAZINE.—The term ‘‘atrazine’’ or ‘‘active 

14 ingredient atrazine’’ refers to the pesticide chemical 

15 2-chloro-4-ethylamine-6-isopropylamin-1,3,5-triazine. 

16 (2) ATRAZINE PRODUCT.—The term ‘‘atrazine 

17 product’’ means any pesticide containing the active 

18 ingredient atrazine, as identified on the Environ19 mental Protection Agency registered label, either 

20 alone or in a combination with other pesticides. 

Æ 


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