Diazinon killer in waterways

Subject:    School "Registered" Pesticide Ban and "Registered" Diazinon in the News----
Date:      Sun, 18 Jun 2000 18:34:07 -0400
From:        Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

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

Dear Lyndon, I thought you might like to read two articles on your "registered" POISONS, the first is entitled: School pesticide ban by Amanda Paulson.

Opponents of pesticide use on school grounds received a boost recently. Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci signed a law that bans use of certain chemicals in schools and day-care centers, and requires notification of parents before any pesticide is used.

The ban is the most far reaching of statewide school pesticide laws. About 30 other states also have some form of regulation on the books.

Campaigns for tighter controls are in progress across the country. California advocates are lobbying for the Healthy Schools Act 2000, which would force districts throughout the state to adopt the "least toxic" pest-control programs that Los Angeles and San Francisco have implemented.

Similar large-scale campaigns are being waged in New York, Wisconsin, and the Northwest.

Environmental groups have suggested alternatives to eradicate weeds and pests. Options range from integrated pest management (IPM) programs to manually pulling weeds - California's Canoga Park High has given this task to students in the Environmental Science Magnet program.

For more information, check Web sites at www.ncamp.org, www.pesticide.org, or www.hsnet.org. The URL for this page is: http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/06/14/fp12s2-csm.shtml

Lyndon, the second article is a press release on the dangers of your "registered" Diazinon..

For immediate release: June 14, 2000 - Household Use of Bug Killer Threatens Salmon, Even When Used as Directed - New Report Calls for Pollution Prevention and Tracking of Household Pesticide Use.

Portland, OR--One of the most commonly-used home and garden insecticides pollutes our waterways at levels that cause serious risks to threatened salmon populations, according to a new report released today on a chemical-free lawn. The report, Lethal Lawns: Diazinon Use Threatens Salmon Survival, was produced by the Oregon Pesticide Education Network (OPEN), the coalition that led last year's effort to establish Oregon's new pesticide tracking law.

"Diazinon is a bug killer widely used on homes and gardens to attack ants, crane flies, and other pests," said Caroline Cox, author of the report and staff member of the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. "Diazinon is also the insecticide most frequently found in Northwest streams, especially in urban watersheds. Like people, our native salmon need clean water to survive."

Diazinon, which kills insects by poisoning their nervous systems, belongs to a class of 40 insecticides known as organophosphates that are under intense scrutiny by the Environmental Protection Agency. Last week, EPA severely restricted another organophosphate, chlorpyrifos, commonly known as Dursban.

Water quality agencies have measured dangerous levels of diazinon pollution resulting from applications made to yards -- even though those applications were made according to label directions.

"We can no longer ignore the damage that pesticides do to our native fish," said Jim Myron, Conservation Director of Oregon Trout. "Unfortunately, federal and state agencies are failing at their job to protect salmon habitat from pesticide pollution. For example, there are no water quality standards to protect aquatic life from most pesticides, including diazinon, even though these standards are required. The lack of enforceable standards means there are few restoration efforts underway for the streams polluted with these toxic chemicals." Myron added that the National Marine Fisheries Service's "4(d)" rules, expected early next week, will be an indicator if government agencies are finally moving in the right direction or continuing to drag their feet.

"People don't have to wait for the government to act in order to do their part in bringing back our Northwest salmon heritage," said Maureen Kirk, Executive Director of the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group. "We can all do our part to save salmon by using alternatives to pesticides and still have beautiful yards." The report includes information on alternatives to diazinon for common pests.

"Salmon are paying the price for our bitter homes and gardens. There's a clear connection between what we put on our yards and what ends up in the water," added Kirk. "To bring back our native fish, we need to understand all of the sources of pollution, including household pesticide use."

"Even tiny amounts of diazinon in the water can alter behaviors of salmon in ways that threaten their survival," added Cox. "For example, levels of diazinon commonly found in Northwest streams harm young Chinook salmon by reducing their ability to avoid being eaten by predators, as shown in a recent study by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Studies also show that a tiny amount of diazinon reduces the production of milt (sperm) by male salmon and that diazinon can reduce the supply of insects that salmon rely on for food."

When Oregon's new pesticide tracking law becomes fully operational in 2002, the state will be the first in the nation to track household use. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is still considering options for the best method for tracking household and other urban pesticide use.

"We're watchdogging the process at the Department of Agriculture closely," said Kirk. "OPEN is recommending that the agency collect sales information from businesses that sell household pesticide products. Retailers should also provide information gathered from purchasers about where they intend to use the products. It's a simple question of accountability."

EPA ís preliminary risk assessment for diazinon, released on May 19, supports many of the findings of Lethal Lawns, and is available at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/diazinon.htm

Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) works to protect people and the environment by advancing healthy solutions to pest problems.

Well Lyndon, it always has been "a simple question of accountability". It seems terrible that we can not trust the people we pay to protect us!

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