PANUPS: Scientists Fight Pesticide Industry Pressure, Florida Birth Defects and

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Wed, 31 May 2006 19:48:22 GMT

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PANUPS: Scientists Fight Pesticide Industry Pressure, Florida

Birth Defects and more

 

 

 

PANNA: Pesticide Action Network North America

 

Scientists Fight Pesticide Industry Pressure, Florida Birth Defects,

Get Rid of Pests Without Pesticides, and more

June 1, 2006

 

United States: Concerned about the harmful effects of pesticides on

children, groups representing over nine thousand scientists in EPA and

other government agencies wrote a letter to EPA chief Stephen Johnson

complaining about pressure from the pesticide industry to allow

continued use of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides without

adequate evaluation. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

(PEER) also revealed that the pesticide industry met with Bush

administration officials last summer to outline their demands for the

controversial human testing pesticide rule.

 

PAN has issued a news advisory in support of PEER, the American

Federation of Government Employees, the National Treasury Employees

Union, Engineers and Scientists of California, risk managers and other

scientists in the government. United Farm Workers issued an action

alert to urge Stephen Johnson to respond to the scientists' complaints.

 

Florida: PAN North America reviewed a report issued October 12, 2005,

by Collier County Health Department in Florida regarding birth defects

and possible links to pesticides. PAN comments that the dismissal of a

possible link between pesticide exposure and the occurrence of birth

defects in babies born to agricultural workers exposed to pesticides

is grossly understated and not adequately addressed. Read PAN's comments.

 

California: Rural residents in Lassen County protested pesticide

spraying after thirteen families reportedly became sick after

chemicals were used for mosquito abatement. Additional pesticide

treatment is planned for the more populated area of Susanville. The

Lassen News has the story.

 

Nepal: Prohibited toxic chemicals -- mostly pesticides -- dumped in a

godown (warehouse) adjoining a secondary school in Nepal have been

affecting the health of some 600 students and more than 5,000

residents of the village, reports eKantipur in their May 29th edition.

As much as seven tons of imported pesticides were dumped in the godown

after the government banned its use.

 

Washington: In 2005, ten Washington state residents agreed to testing

of their hair, blood, and urine for the presence of toxic chemicals as

part of an investigative biomonitoring study by the Toxic-Free Legacy

Coalition. The Coalition wanted to know which chemicals were getting

into our bodies, and at what levels, to better understand the

potential harm posed by poor regulation of chemicals, and to develop

better solutions. Participants were tested for six groups of

chemicals, including pesticides. Read the report and find out how you

can take action to help stop chemical contamination.

 

Illinois: Pesticides aggravate asthma and are especially harmful to

children. The Safer Pest Control project of Chicago offers helpful

information for schools, homeowners, and everyone for reducing use of

pesticides with information on Integrated Pest Management. Sound IPM

approaches focus on the causes and prevention of pest problems using

least-toxic methods. Read More.

 

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PANUPS is a weekly email news service providing resource guides and

reporting on pesticide issues that don't always get coverage by the

mainstream media. It's produced by Pesticide Action Network North

America, a non-profit and non-governmental organization working to

advance sustainable alternatives to pesticides worldwide. We gladly

accept donations for our work and all contributions are tax deductible

in the United States.

 

Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) 49 Powell St., Suite

500, San Francisco, CA 94102 USA Phone: (415) 981-1771 Fax: (415)

981-1991 Email: panna Web: http://www.panna.org