WOMAN ADMITS TESTING PESTICIDES ON UNKNOWING SUBJECTS; CORPORATION PLEADS GUILTY TO OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE

[ Pesticide Poisoning and Kids ] * [ Symptoms of Pesticide Poisoning ]
[ MEMORIAL TO VICTIM of PESTICIDE POISONING ]

Subject:   Speaking of "testing" "registered" POISONS on people---
Date:        Sat, 12 Feb 2000 11:49:03 -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

WOMAN ADMITS TESTING PESTICIDES ON UNKNOWING SUBJECTS; CORPORATION PLEADS GUILTY TO OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE

A Verona woman pleaded guilty today to violating federal environmental laws by testing products containing pesticides on human subjects without their knowledge or consent, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Cleary announced.

Lynne Harrison, 67, of Verona, pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging that she violated a provision of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) by using the pesticide DEET on human test subjects without their being fully informed of the nature and purpose of the tests and of any reasonably foreseeable physical or mental health consequences, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey D. Clark.

Harrison Research Laboratories Inc. of Union, of which Harrison is president and majority owner, also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with an inspection being conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"This was a violation of the law and a violation of the people this company used in its tests," Cleary said.

Said EPA Regional Administrator Jeanne M. Fox: "This is an alarming case because it involves someone misleading and using people as guinea pigs to conducts experiments. Under federal law, Harrison had a duty to inform people about the potential effects of the DEET product and permit them to then make an informed decision about whether to participate in the test." Harrison told U.S. District Judge Nicholas H. Politan that her company tested products containing DEET on human test subjects without informing them they were being exposed to the chemical. Harrison admitted that in 1995 and 1996, her company tested products containing DEET on at least 300 unsuspecting test subjects.

Harrison also admitted on behalf of her company that, upon notification of an EPA audit, Harrison Research Laboratories asked the firm that contracted for the tests to backdate documents to help Harrison research Laboratories comply with regulatory requirements.

Harrison is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Politan on May 3. Harrison faces a maximum sentence of 30 days in prison and a $1,000 fine on the misdemeanor charge. The company faces a maximum fine of up to $500,000.

Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Judge Politan will determine the actual sentences based upon a formula that takes into account the severity and characteristics of the offense and the defendant's criminal history, if any, Cleary said.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Under Sentencing Guidelines, defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time. Harrison remains free on a personal recognizance bond.

Cleary credited special agents of the EPA, under the direction of WilliamV. Lometti, Special Agent in Charge of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division in New York; David M. Dillon, Resident Agent in Charge of EPA's Criminal Division in Trenton, and Dr. Adrian Enache, head of EPA's Regional Pesticides Program, with developing the case against Harrison and her company.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clark of the U.S. Attorney's Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

---

email comments:

MMacraven@aol.com wrote:

Steve,

My answer to this was "SO WHAT" pesticides are tested on people everyday without their consent or knowledge--and ends up in a WHOOPS OH WELL acceptable loss column.

How can they even press charges against this woman for doing what industry does everyday with the blessings of EPA, USA, CMA, RISE, ACHS----I say THEY all need to be tried for negligible homicide with full knowledge of the effects of their action---and if they say they didn't know the results--they should be tried for perjury because they already know poisons poison. So does the village jester.

This made me so angry--this woman is doing what is usual and customary on the way to :sound" economics. I don't see her standing out as being anymore a criminal than the rest of industry.

Steve's Response:

Maggie, I thoroughly agree with you - we are all subjected to a barrage of untested "inerts", "extended and/or grandfathered" (untested) active POISON ingredients, synergistic effects, metabolites, contaminants, fraudulent test data, sweetheart POISON "deals", etc.- from MANY POISON producers, all without our consent or knowledge. Like canaries we become sick and die - and "our" "regulators" pretend that nothing is wrong.

"Our" government rarely goes after the large POISON corporations that are actually KILLING us, but, they occasionally will go after the a few of the little people like this woman. Usually "our" government goes after the people who are actually trying to solve the pollution/pest problems by using safe and effective alternatives. "Our" government has been known to prosecute "people" for using less than the labeled POISON rate and/or for using safe and effective unregistered alternatives - that "our regulators" (AKA the POISON "industry") chooses to call "unregistered pesticide poisons".

I work and pray everyday that "our" "regulators" will start to protect us and our environment and not the "registered" POISON PRODUCERS. I also want to see everyone who has POISONED our world - be made to pay to restore it. I believe with all my heart that ALL of the people who have POISONED/KILLED us for profit (and who have said "they" are/were doing so to "protect" us) should ALL be tried for premeditated MURDER! (Of course the entire POISON "industry" knows POISONS POISON!)

Maggie, I am in so much agreement with you that I have asked Linda to post your letter on our web site. Thanks for your imput. Steve