"Sins of the Farmers"
Increasingly, developers are building new housing on land that was once agricultural; and builders must remedy problems related to toxic pollutants that farmers once used as pesticides.
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Subject: "Sins of the Farmers"
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 08:25:59 -0400
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of
California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read an article entitled: "Sins of the Farmers" - Builder (05/01) Vol. 24, No. 6, P. 272; Power, Matthew.
Increasingly, developers are building new housing on land that was once agricultural; and builders must remedy problems related to toxic pollutants that farmers once used as pesticides. Although testing for such poisons is not required by law, farmers--many of whom applied pesticides when they were legal--are finding themselves entwined in legal battles over liability for cleaning up the mess. Builders are angry because state and local municipalities often hold different rules about soil testing. A national survey conducted in 1998 for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection found that of the 14 states that acknowledged a problem with historic pesticide issues, only Michigan had adopted mandatory testing of old farm sites. Economics come into play with the issue, too, as remediation of these sites can be costly. Also, opinions vary on exactly how best to remedy the problems, from relocation to removal of the polluted topsoil. Many banks, however, have already recognized the potential problems with soil contamination; and they often mandate testing before providing builders with financing. Meanwhile, the National Resource Inventory suggests that conversion of rural farmland to develop is growing in many states, which could turn it into a major political issue in the years to come. (www.builderonline.com)
Well Mr. Helliker, once again the farmer must pay not only the initial cost for relying on your (once) "registered" POISONS but now, for the "registered" CONTAMINATION that they clearly have caused! If the farmer's land is not checked for "registered" CONTAMINATION - more innocent people will get sick and/or die. Of course if the farmer simply continues farming - we all get to continue to eat this "registered" CONTAMINATION. I think the "sin" is not with the farmer but with the "industry and the regulators" that created this major health problem. Once again, we see that your previous "solutions" have become our current problems! One can only hope that your "registered policy" will change soon.
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
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