What happens when the agency responsible for protecting public health relies on safety information from the companies it's supposed to regulate?
In this episode of The Healthy Project Podcast, host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with award-winning investigative journalist Carey Gillam, editor-in-chief of The New Lede, to examine the relationship between pesticide regulation, corporate accountability, and public health.
Drawing on her investigation co-published with The Guardian, Gillam discusses internal Syngenta documents on paraquat, a widely used herbicide linked in scientific research to Parkinson's disease. The documents raise questions about what the company knew, what information was shared with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and whether farmers and agricultural workers received adequate warnings about potential health risks.
The conversation goes beyond one chemical or one company. Corey and Carey explore how pesticide safety decisions are made, how corporate research influences regulatory oversight, and why environmental health concerns affect communities far beyond agricultural fields.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- What internal Syngenta documents reveal about the company's knowledge of paraquat and potential neurological risks.
- What researchers have found about the relationship between paraquat exposure and Parkinson's disease, and why the findings remain contested.
- How the EPA evaluates pesticide safety and why its reliance on industry-provided research raises concerns.
- How corporate influence can affect independent scientific research, public information, and regulatory decisions.
- Why pesticide exposure, agricultural runoff, and water quality matter for communities, including those in Iowa.
- How environmental health risks intersect with health equity, prevention, and corporate accountability.
- Why Carey continues investigating these issues despite facing professional intimidation and personal challenges.
Carey also shares the human stories behind her reporting, including families affected by serious illnesses and the financial and emotional consequences they have experienced.
This conversation raises a larger public health question: Are our regulatory systems doing enough to prevent harm before people become sick?
Whether you work in healthcare, public health, agriculture, environmental advocacy, or simply want to better understand the systems protecting your health, this episode offers a closer look at the science, policy, and people behind pesticide regulation.
About the Guest
Carey Gillam is an award-winning investigative journalist, author, and editor-in-chief of The New Lede. Her reporting focuses on environmental health, pesticide safety, corporate accountability, and the intersection of science and public policy.
Explore Carey's reporting at The New Lede: https://www.thenewlede.org/
Listen to more conversations about health, healthcare systems, and public policy on The Healthy Project Podcast.
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