Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE)

RISE, affiliated with the American Crop Protection Association, is a lobbying and public relations trade organization founded to defend "urban usage" of pesticides. This includes pesticides used in homes and schools (on termites, fleas, roaches, etc) landscape uses, and urban pest and vegetation control. RISE shares ACPA’s Washington, DC offices.

RISE is dedicated to providing "a strong unified voice for the specialty pesticide industry", promoting a positive public image and opinion, and promoting the use of "industry products." (RISE, "What is RISE?" and "Why should you join RISE?") RISE’s web site neglects to name the 150 coalition members, but Monsanto, DuPont, and Dow AgroScience are core members. (Pesticide and Toxic Chemical News, July 9, 1998).

RISE . . .

• Won an honorable mention from the American Society of Association Executives in 1992 for manufacturing a "grassroots" coalition in Missoula, MT, to defeat a ballot referendum that would have required pesticide applicators to notify residents about what kinds of pesticides were being sprayed in and near their homes. Before RISE intervened, the proposed law had majority support. After two weeks of "education", voters defeated the proposal 57 percent to 43 percent. ("Why should you join RISE?" and Legal Times, December 7, 1992).

• Has provided special interest testimony to OSHA, EPA, and congressional hearings. ("Why should you join RISE?")

• Prides itself on defending pesticides behind the scences: "Sometimes its what you don’t see that benefits you most as a member of RISE. For instance, legislation that never made it into law, a congressional vote that wasn’t cast, a negative article that wasn’t published. There are countless times when proactive measures by RISE keep onerous actions from occurring." ("Why should you join RISE?")

• Turning the environmental message on its head, RISE claims pesticide use in schools is necessary to protect children’s health.
  • RISE opposed the School Environmental Protection Act, introduced in October of 1999. RISE says passage of SEPA would "needlessly prolong children’s exposure to dangerous pests." (PR Newswire, October 12, 1999) RISE claims children "are especially vulnerable to insect bites and stings from wasps, ticks, scorpions, and fire ants." (Advanstar Communications, "Erase the myths about pesticides in schools," March 1, 2000)
  • The General Accounting Office released a report in January 2000 that found that among the 2,300 documented cases between 1993 and 1996 where people were exposed to pesticides in schools, 329 needed medical attention due to pesticide exposure. The report found schools do not keep records of pesticide use or possible exposure rates. The report also found concluded that pesticides "are harmful to all human beings, but children are at greater risk". (Austin American-Statesmen, January 5, 2000).

• Opposes the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) to protect corporate interests. RISE members stand to lose a lot of money if the FQPA is fully carried out. An RISE consultant warned in 1999 that "FPA implementation is placing non-agricultural pesticide uses in great jeopardy." (Pesticide and Toxic Chemical News, May 6, 1999).

• Is a member of the Implementation Working Group, and has helped "draft model legislation" that would "improve" the FQPA for the pesticide industry. The Implementation Working Group is a coalition of chemical and agribusiness firms specifically designed to halt EPA's implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act