Steve Tvedten of Get Set, Inc.'s email to Lyndon Hawkins of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation .

Questions have been asked of the California Department of Pesticide Control since Fontana Unified School District declined to consider a pesticide free IPM program because of the Department of Agriculture's opinion about only utilizing registered pesticides to eliminate pests.  The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has remained silent and not responded to these issues that are pointing out ever increasing scientific and medical information on the damages done by pesticides:

Subject:         Thoughts from a Doctor of Osteopathy-------
Date:             Mon, 23 Aug 1999 08:54:54 -0400
From:             Rosalind Tvedten <stvedten@earthlink.net>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To:                 Lyndon Hawkins <hawkins@empm.cdpr.ca.gov>

 Lyndon, I thought you might be interested in the following article and comments from Don Paladin who sent me the article and who suffers from MCS.  The following research summary was taken from *Healthy News You Can Use,*  Issue #115     August 22, 1999,  By Joseph Mercola, D.O.

Genes Raise Pesticide Cancer Risk In Children Exposure to household pesticides before birth, added to the inheritance of certain genes, appears to increase the risk of developing childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Indoor use of some insecticides by (home) owners and pesticide use in the garden and on interior plants increased risks up to several fold. According to the authors, use of insecticides in the garden and inside the house, particularly frequent prenatal use, was associated with increased risks for leukemia. For example, fetal  exposure to household cockroach-, ant- and/or wasp-fighting compounds during pregnancy increased a child's risk of developing leukemia by 79%, the investigators report, compared with children without such exposure. And the researchers note that fetal exposure to moth-killer  was associated with more than double the risk for childhood leukemia.

The researchers also suggest that genes governing the activity of P-450 enzymes might exacerbate this cancer risk. They explain that P-450 enzymes can activate carcinogens found in pesticides --  raising the likelihood that exposure to insecticides could trigger cancer. To investigate this possibility, the researchers compared leukemia rates in children with or without two variants of the P-450 genes --CYP1A1m1 or CYP1A1m2. The study authors report that cancer risks  following household insecticide exposure rose even higher in children who carried these  genes. For example, children with the CYP1A1m1 gene who were exposed to mite/spider killer in utero had more than 5 times the risk for leukemia of non-exposed children. Household insecticides used in the study included compounds such as organophosphorous, chlorpyrifos, diazinon,  dichlorvos, malathion, cygon, propoxur, carbaryl, and chlordane. The study is one of the first, if not the first, to evaluate gene-environment interactions for pesticides and childhood leukemia, so  the evidence must be viewed as preliminary.COMMENT: Here we have another wonderful tie in. The "proof" that pesticides increase cancer. This study did not follow thesechildren 20-30 years. If they did, they would find out that they also have an increase in breast and testicular cancer. The message is clear, DO NOT use pesticide poisonss and eat ORGANIC food. This is particularly  important for pregnant women, as a fetus has the most vulnerable exposure. So all you pregnant moms out there pay attention: NO PESTICIDE POISON exposure,absolutely NONE. However, you can ignore this warning and dramatically increase your child's risk for a future cancer. Tolerating a few bugs now to save your child's life in the future, I believe, is a small priceto pay.

Epidemiology September 1999;10:473-475, 481-487.
 

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Hi All,
I want to add a personal note to this timely research information reviewed by Dr. Mercola. I was a special education Resource Room teacher before becoming  unable to teach in the pesticide laden public schools.  Yesterday I went to my PCP (Primary Care Physician) for a follow up  discussion. His nurse is a parent of one of my former students. Phil was a very bright, personable child who happens to have a learning disability. His verbal and intellectual ability were high. His social skills with others were amazing. This young  man was a very kind and thoughtful person. I wish that the world was filled with humans like Phil. Yesterday I asked where Linda, Phil's mother, was. That is when I learned that she had taken a leave absence because Phil had been in  the hospital for two months under going chemotherapy treatments for leukemia.  After picking up  my sunken heart, I immediately thought about the fact that Linda's family lives in north Whatcom County where farmers had sprayed their crops with a now banned pesticide that had been implicated in a childhood leukemia cluster. In fact, the Washington State Department of Ecology or EPA had done tests on well water in parts of the County where this spraying had gone on.  The wells of some homes were so toxic that they paid to have bottled water for some home owners for more than ten years. Unfortunately, they probably should have tested the wells and  water of all the homes in the agricultural part of the County where the applications of  pesticides have taken place. I don't know that Phil drank any of this contaminated well water. He had just graduated from high school this June. I was told by receptionist that he has a cousin who also  developed leukemia. I don't know if Phil's cousin lives in Whatcom County.

We who know the cause and effect relationship of toxic chemicals know that kids like Phil and his cousin would not develop childhood leukemia if there were no environmental triggers for this illness. How many more children must we sacrifice for the economic gains of the pesticide industry?

I am very saddened by the pain this wonderful young man has to go through.  You know that the chemical industry will never take any responsibility for the damage they do to lives. I hope you will say a prayer for Phil, now in remission, that he may make a full recovery. I hope someday  he uses those powerful people skills he has to make this a better planet.

The simple truth is that pesticide poisons were never designed to be eaten, breathed or drank. There are millions of people getting cancer and dying and never knowing what caused it. At least those of us with pesticide sensitivity know when it is in the air and can avoid its destructive effects  (most of the time). It is time that we ALL stand up to the poison hustlers and tell them that we don't want their poisons in our food, our water, and in our air.
 Elections are coming up soon. Ask any politician running where they stand on  the issue of applying toxic poisons to our buildings, our roads, and our lands. I do not want to vote for any politician who is enabling this destructive environmental behavior. I just cannot bear to see  any more people injured with these poisons.  Take care, Don Paladin  http://hometown.aol.com/wsmcsn/index.htm

Note: Both environment and nature (genes) have an impact upon all lives. In  the case of some of us, genes like the gene  for the PON Q enzyme that  detoxifies organophophates existed in humans and animals way before the creation of these synthetic poisons. The fact that some of us  CANNOT detoxify these synthetic poisons does not necessarily mean our genes are defective. It  probably means that the synthetic poisons should not be imposed upon the living. Think about it!!!

I have Dan, now I am asking Lyndon Hawkins and a lot of others to think about it!!!  Remember this one fact - everyone, that the California DPR is STILL not allowing the "legal" use of any of my alternatives to these dangerous "registered" poisons.  Lyndon, when will it ever be "legal" (in your opinion) to wash your can in California - and in so doing, to kill all of the pests therein with unregistered soap and water?

Respectfully,  Stephen L. Tvedten.