EPA Urged To Monitor School Pesticide Use

Far too little is known about the health risks facing children from exposure to pesticides (POISONS) in school, a  congressional study concludes, prompting a call for the Environmental Protection Agency to examine the issue.

[ What to do if pesticides are being used ]
[ Pesticide Poisoning and Kids ] * [ Symptoms of Pesticide Poisoning ]
[ MEMORIAL TO VICTIMS ]

Subject:          EPA Urged To Monitor School Pesticide Use-----
 Date:             Wed, 05 Jan 2000 10:08:07 -0500
From:             Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

To:     Lyndon Hawkins <hawkins@empm.cdpr.ca.gov>
          State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
          Integrated Pest Management

 
Dear Lyndon, I thought you might like to read an Associated Press Release:

JANUARY 05, 02:37 EST -  Pesticides in Schools Data Sought.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Far too little is known about the health  risks facing children from exposure to pesticides (POISONS) in school, a  congressional study concludes, prompting a call for the Environmental Protection Agency to examine the issue.

``This information gap is troubling,'' Sen. Joe Lieberman of  Connecticut, ranking Democrat on the Senate Governmental  Affairs Committee, said Tuesday at a news conference.

``We know that children are particularly vulnerable to risks  associated with pesticides (POISONS), including elevated rates of leukemia and brain cancer. So we have every right to be concerned,'' he continued.

Lieberman released a report by the General Accounting Office  that said its investigators could find no credible statistics on  the amount of pesticide (POISON) used in the nation's 110,000 public  schools, nor information about students exposure to pesticides (POISONS), or their health impacts.

The GAO said its investigators could find no credible statistics on the amount of pesticide (active POISON ingredients) used in the nation's 110,000 public schools, nor how often students might have been exposed to dangerous chemicals (POISONS).  It said there is even less data on short-term or long-term health impacts.

Pesticide manufactures and distributors have argued that the chemicals (POISONS) used in schools are safe and are used in accordance with requirements already issued by the EPA. Without use of the chemicals (POISONS) students could be exposed to dangerous, disease carrying pests, the industry argues. [These arguments are absolutely not true.  It supposedly is against the federal law to state even the labeled use of any "registered" pesticide is "safe", and I have gotten far better pest control using my safe (unregistered) alternatives than I ever did using your "registered" POISONS!  So, wherever these "chemicals" are still being used, students are being needlessly and continually exposed to both the dangerous pests and the pesticide poisons.]

But a private advocacy group, the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, has maintained that students frequently are exposed to unhealthy levels of pesticide (POISON) residues in classrooms and on playgrounds because of spraying by pest control companies.

``All the data available suggest students face a hazard,'' said Jay Feldman, the coalition's executive director, who joined Lieberman at a news conference. Feldman acknowledged that hard data on pesticide (POISON) use and health risks in schools is sketchy.

Lieberman and Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., are pushing for legislation that would require schools to notify parents before pesticides (POISONS) are to be used in a school and require schools to adopt pest management plans that rely less on toxic chemicals.

In the meantime, Lieberman said, the EPA should take steps to minimize students' exposure to pesticides (POISONS) by establishing federal guidelines on parent notification and on the use of pesticides in school environments, and begin a ``full-scale statistical survey'' to determine whether children are at risk because of the accumulated exposure to pesticides (POISONS).

The EPA issued a statement saying it is ``vitally important to call attention to potential risks from pesticides (POISONS) in schools and in all other places where children may be exposed'' and that it would consider all the recommendations.

Six states — Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Texas and West Virginia — require schools to adopt integrated pest management strategies. Maryland and Texas are the only states to require parent notification in advance of pesticide use. (Lyndon, I notice you are clearly not on the IPM list.)

         Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Well Lyndon, what is more troubling to me, is your recent grant decisions; apparently you have decided to continue to only allow the use of "registered" POISONS to "control" pests in California schools.  Your decision and that of Mr. Helliker (interesting name) will continue to expose and put as many California children at risk as you possibly can.

For the record, we have consistently proven in hundreds of schools and we  guaranteed you in writing we could safely and effectively remove all California school pests with our GRAS/non-toxic alternatives but, obviously, this was not good enough for you.  One day "someone" is going to ask why you did not want to even consider our recommendations and why you wanted this hazard to continue.

Respectfully,  Stephen L. Tvedten

[ Read Original News Article ]

---

If you would like to be included in our mailing list for pesticide news, Email Us.