LETTER FROM THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHEMICAL TRAUMA ALLIANCE; Herbicide spraying by local authorities
Subject: Herbicide spraying by local authorities................
Date:
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 the following letter on herbicide spraying by local authorities.
Australian Chemical Trauma Alliance Inc<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Participating Organization of the National Toxic Network
Representative: Diana Buckland
4 Mia Street Kallangur Qld 4503 Ph/fax: (07) 3285 3573
Email: dianabuckland@bigpond.com
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~actall
THIS LETTER FROM THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHEMICAL TRAUMA ALLIANCE -
REX WARREN
PRESIDENT; REX WARREN email: rexglor@bigpond.com
ph. 07 4979l828 fax. 07 49793961
Pamela Valenti Representative pamelav@cairns.net.au
Ann Want National Co-ordinator acespade@northnet.com
Concerns about local Government herbicide use and health
consequences thereof to residents
are certainly justified. Based on
worldwide evidence, we believe it's only a question of time, before the practice
is banned as it already is in many areas of the
Glyphosate and the inerts used in spray formulations
certainly do trigger severe reactions in people with Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Herbicide use in residential areas also triggers asthma attacks in adults
and children. Our Health
Professional members in
As the National Registration Authority has never maintained an Adverse Reactions Register, it is not commonly known that children with Attention Deficit Disorder and Autistic Spectrum Disorder exhibit periods of severe behavioural problems, including violent behaviour, following the use of herbicides and pesticides near residential areas (these are a class of neuro-toxic chemicals) .
In late 1999, emergency permits were granted for increased
glyphosate use on corn, wheat and barley crops in
There is a considerable amount of information available on glyphosate (thousands of pages) which would indicate considerable caution be implemented in the continued use of herbicides & pesticides in or around residential areas. The numbered extract examples as supplied to us (as below) represent only a very small sample. We can provide the full documents on request for your perusal and consideration.
i Ingestion of Roundup has been shown to cause "irritation of the oral mucous membrane and gastrointestinal tract ...pulmonary dysfunction, oliguria, metabolic acidosis, hypotension, leukocytosis and fever".
ii Monsanto states that Glyphosate is not a cholinesterase inhibitor. The MSDS on Roundup also says that Glyphosate is not a cholinesterase inhibitor. Yet, Glyphosate is an organophosphorus and the "toxic effects of organophosphorus (OP) compounds are predicated on their irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and other serine hydrolases".
iii A recent study by eminent oncologists Dr. Lennart
Hardell and Dr. Mikael Eriksson of
iv The NY
Attorney General's Office sued Monsanto for advertising that Roundup herbicide
is "Safe" and "environmentally friendly".
While Monsanto admitted no error, they settled with NY, paying them a
couple hundred thousand dollars and agreeing to refrain from advertising Roundup
herbicide in
According to newspaper reports, the WA Farmers Federation fear the cost of Glyphosate could more than double if Monsanto succeeds in imposing a Dumping Duty on cheap Chinese imports of the chemical, taking the present price of $l00.00 per 20 lt. drum to $220.00. This could make more environmentally friendly (and health friendly) weed control options a more viable proposition.
There is absolutely no doubt, that community health will greatly benefit, if Councils find more environmentally friendly (and health friendly) ways of weed control. The NRA approval given for various chemicals, does not indemnify Councils or professional pesticide and herbicide businesses from liability, when they cause injuries to human health, especially when residents who suffer adverse reactions give prior notice. We believe it is an unnecessary and wasteful exercise to end up in expensive and time consuming litigation, when all that is needed is common sense.
Anyone who wishes, may contact me if I can be of any further assistance and Council Representatives and other Representatives can contact me during business hours on 07 4978 6022.
Warm Regards,
REX WARREN
NATIONAL PRESIDENT
AUSTRALIAN CHEMICAL TRAUMA
EMAIL: rexglor@bigpond.com
Well Mr. Helliker. do you believe it's only a question of time, before the practice of spraying weeds with your "registered" herbicide POISONS is banned? Many people now believe herbicide spraying is an unnecessary and wasteful exercise guaranteed to end up in expensive and time consuming litigation. Your "regisration" of the various POISONS, obviously does not indemnify Councils or professional pesticide and herbicide businesses from liability, when they cause injuries to human health, especially when residents who suffer adverse reactions give prior notice. When will it be "legal" to use common sense, rather than "registered" POISONS to "control" weed problems?
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
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