OUTGOING ADMINISTRATOR APPROVES INCREASED USE OF PESTICIDES

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EPA Violates International Treaty in Allowing Massive Increase of MethylBromide Pesticide Use

 

BEFORE TRANSFER TO HHS:" (12/16/04): http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/041216.asp

 

Outgoing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Leavitt will release regulations today allowing a 2 million pound increase in 2005 in the use of methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting and cancer-causing farm chemical, in violation of both an international treaty and the Clean Air Act. This new action follows several other decisions by the Bush administration to allow more use of the pesticide. "Catering to a handful of big chemical and agribusiness interests, the Bush administration is actually expanding the use of this dangerous, ozone-destroying chemical," said David Doniger, policy director of the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) Climate Center. "More methyl bromide means more ozone depletion and higher risks of skin cancer, cataracts, and immune diseases for millions of Americans."

 

The EPA exemptions will allow agribusiness interests to use 19.7 millionpounds of methyl bromide next year... More than three-quarters of thechemical will be used by two crops -- Florida tomatoes and Californiastrawberries. The rules violate conditions that countries use up theavailable stockpile of methyl bromide before authorizing new productionconditions the Bush administration agreed to in Montreal Protocol talkswith 180 countries just last March. The Bush administration's movecontrasts sharply with action this week by the European Union, which isdramatically cutting methyl bromide use across the continent, includingthe tomato- and strawberry-growing regions of Italy, Spain, and othersouthern European countries.