Banning One Pesticide Is Not Enough
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Banning One Pesticide Is Not Enough
Date:
Fri, 6 Dec 2002 10:49:23 -0500
From:
Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide
Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
MEDIA RELEASE _ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 5, 2002
Banning one pesticide is not enough -- PEI is awash in groundwater polluting pesticides
Charlottetown -- The Province's decision to ban the use of 1,3-dichloropropene in PEI means the people of Alberton are safe from future exposure to this chemical but the environmental activist group Earth Action wants to know what Environment Minister Chester Gillan will do to protect the rest of PEI citizen's from known groundwater polluting pesticides.
"1,3-dichloropropene is only one of many known groundwater polluting chemicals used in this Province," says Earth Action spokesperson Sharon Labchuk. " And it's not even the worst."
Labchuk says anyone living near a sprayed field risks drinking pesticide-laced water, and central water supply systems are not safe either.
"Admire is a potato insecticide used on virtually every potato field on PEI. It was first registered for use on PEI in the mid-90's and we protested it at the time because it is a known groundwater polluter. The label states: This chemical demonstrates the properties and characteristics associated with chemicals detected in groundwater. The use of Admire 240F in areas where soils are permeable particularly where the water table is shallow, may result in groundwater contamination."
Labchuk says other crops grown on PEI also use pesticides known to have contaminated groundwater in other countries.
"Atrazine is a herbicide used on corn. This notorious drinking water pollutant has poisoned thousands of wells in the United States and is listed by that government as a possible human carcinogen. Hexazinone is a herbicide used on blueberries, also listed as a possible human carcinogen. It's known to pollute groundwater and in fact has been detected in PEI groundwater."
Labchuk says while the ban on 1,3-dichloropropene is welcome, government risked very little by banning a chemical not widely used on PEI. Earth Action believes the only solution to the contamination of water, air, soil and living things on PEI is to move to a totally organic system of growing food.
"Until we do move to a 100 per cent organic system, citizens should have access to free water testing. And the cost of these tests should not be borne by taxpayers. This would amount to a subsidy to the agriculture industry. Water testing costs should be paid for by the agriculture and pesticide industries. We can start by making pesticide users pay taxes on the chemicals they buy."
"Banning chemicals one by one, only after they have caused harm, is simply an unacceptable way to deal with the very real and very serious problems we are facing on PEI from the use of toxic pesticides," says Labchuk.
Contact:
Sharon Labchuk
902-621-0719
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