MyFox
 

crone61's place

by crone61 from Hog Valley

Last Post 202 days, 9 hours Ago


Bush Administration Sued for Allowing Continued Use of Four Pesticides
May 13, 2008 | 1:41 AM
Category: News
Report This Post

Bush Administration Sued for Allowing Continued Use of Four Pesticides

by Jo Hartley

(NaturalNews.com) Environmental and farm worker groups have now sued the Bush administration for allowing the continued use of four pesticides. They claim that the government brushed aside its own evidence that the chemicals are toxic to workers, children, and animals.

The suit challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's 2006 decision to reauthorize the four pesticides used on fruit and vegetable fields in California.

A 1996 federal law required the EPA to reassess the safety of all pesticides used on foods. Based on this reassessment, the EPA was to decide whether to approve their use. The EPA found that four substances posed substantial risks to human health but they concluded that the cost savings to growers outweighed the dangers to humans.

These four pesticides reportedly put thousands of farm workers and their families at risk of serious illness.

EPA spokesman Tim Lyons stated that the agency would review the lawsuit and respond in court. However, they did say: "Our mission is to protect the environment and human health."

California officials have officially classified one of the pesticides (ethoprop) as a carcinogen. The state requires manufacturers to disclose this risk on any product label but cannot outright ban the pesticide because it has the EPA's approval. The suit said the pesticide, which is mainly used on potatoes, sugarcane, and tobacco, has been linked to fish deaths and has also begun to drift from fields into nearby rural communities.

Another pesticide (methidathion) has been listed as an air contaminant by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation due to the potential health hazards associated with it. This chemical is used on artichokes, oranges, almonds, peaches and olives in California.

The other two pesticides are methamidophos (used mostly on potatoes and cotton) and oxydemeton-methyl (used on broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, corn, cabbage and Brussels sprouts). The suit stated that both have been associated with bird deaths. Methamidophos has been banned or severely restricted in several countries in recent years. Oxydemeton-methyl is now linked to birth defects.

The basis for the lawsuit is the EPA's own findings about the risks associated with these four pesticides.

Federal law allows the agency latitude to approve the continued use of risky pesticides such as these based on offsetting benefits. The main benefit preventing the EPA ban of these chemicals is, not surprisingly, cost savings. However, the EPA has failed to address the specific dangers each pesticide poses to children. It has also not taken into adequate account the potential adverse effects on farm workers or to wildlife.

The suit is seeking a court order requiring the agency to re-evaluate once again the use of these pesticides. Plaintiffs in the suit include the United Farm Workers, the Teamsters, Pesticide Action Network North America, Beyond Pesticides and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

9 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 9
Page 1 of 1
RNC08 read my blog view my photos
May 13, 2008 | 9:07 AM

...how can one reauthorize a pesticide that was never banned ? ...questionable “left-coast” science targeting negligible health protection promoted with a less than realistic link to this administration ...it adds up to yet another political push and nothing more.
LLRucker read my blog view my photos
May 13, 2008 | 9:25 AM

SO let me get this straight, they KNEW the pesticide was dangerous, these farm workers and the like and YET they still used it and NOW they want to sue Bush? Figures.
And the rest of the country actually believes California is the land of enlightenment.
RNC08 read my blog view my photos
May 13, 2008 | 11:52 AM

California is a very “special” place where your actions may not be against any law but you can still be forced to pay $$$$$ damages for you totally legal actions !
Abunai read my blog view my photos
May 13, 2008 | 5:39 PM

Only took about 30 some years for everyone to figure out that DDT was NOT hurting Eagle's eggs, and it was all just a ploy from a single Democrat! Millions upon millions died from disease around the world because of it!

Here is the REAL scoop:

California is fast loosing its illegal work force as they replace hand worked crops with machines and pesticides. The only way to save them is to secure work, and that means pull weeds and work crops by hand, and the only way to do that is to make anything else illegal!
DaytonaFrank read my blog view my photos
May 13, 2008 | 8:45 PM

Well, all pesticides are toxic to animals and humans!

If they are SAFELY handled and dispersed, there should not be a problem with them.
DaytonaFrank read my blog view my photos
May 13, 2008 | 8:48 PM

I guess Bush is still a target for every nutball group out there.
Perfact_Stranger
May 14, 2008 | 8:44 AM

Wow. Go Bush! Whats next? Are they willing to bomb there own country? Or even lead our people to greif and die? Oh wait, the 9/11 conspiarcy, and that war..thats..going on..I really believe the Bush Administration needs to step down. They are putting us in a living hell and its not to good for anyone. I just hope this election goes by fast, because we need bush to step down on office and we need someone to clean up his mess.
DaytonaFrank read my blog view my photos
May 14, 2008 | 10:23 PM

Or make it worse.............................
crone61 read my blog
May 14, 2008 | 10:27 PM

I don't know if the four had been banned, but usage had stopped until 2006. EPA reassessed the four due to a '96 federal law. EPA's findings did not change - the pesticides were still found harmful to humans - but money was once again more important than people, and usage was re-instituted.

Safe use of any chemical is only as good as the info provided by its distributor, and that sometimes proves to be at best, unreliable and at worst, down right falsified information.

I grow as much of my own food as possible and use no chemicals at all. My biggest loss is to squirrels. LOL

Nature has made the pests and Nature has provided the pesticides. Natural combatants are soooo much cheaper and user friendly. I'm not going to have to know 20 years from now that my grandchildren are severly debilitated because I used chemicals on my garden.
Page 1 of 1


Write your comment below:




crone61

I'm a married mother of two with an incomplete college education. I'm an ordained minister and a practitioner of a Nature based belief system. I have an affinity for motorcycles, animals, music, Native American teachings, guns, tattoos, water and healing & preserving Mother Earth. I have an aversion to crime, public profanity, misguided public officials and general stupidity.

Member Since: 3/18/2008


 

RSS: XMLWhat is RSS?