DEP Inspects Region's Farms For Worker, Pesticide "Safety"
Click
Here to Add Comment Subject:
DEP Inspects Region's Farms For Worker, Pesticide "Safety"
Date:
Mon, 5 Aug 2002 15:45:19 -400
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, Mitchel Cohen <mitchelcohen@mindspring.com> sent this to me.
News: DEP Inspects Region’s Farms For Worker, Pesticide Safety
Posted by
admin on Saturday, August 03 @ 21:16:15 EDT
Contributed by
admin
State environmental enforcement officers targeted more than 50 agricultural sites in Cumberland, Gloucester and Atlantic counties for pesticide inspections in a three-day operation that ended Thursday.
The purpose of the concentrated inspections was to strictly enforce pesticide regulations and help ensure farm-worker safety, state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell said.
As of Wednesday, DEP staff had inspected 39 farms, checking for requirements such as adequate training and protective equipment for workers. They also examined chemical-storage areas and reviewed records regarding the time and location of pesticide applications.
Violation notices were issued to 23 farms, with 15 cited for serious problems, including failure to train workers and post essential pesticide information, the DEP said in a news release.
The department will make a decision on penalties on a case-by-case basis, the release said. Follow-up inspections will be conducted to ensure corrective action is taken.
"We are committed to providing equal protection to all individuals and groups against environmental health risk," Campbell said in the release. "These concentrated efforts are allowing us to immediately correct unsafe labor conditions and minimize a workers' harmful exposure to pesticides."
About 40,000 farm workers are employed in New Jersey, including those who live in migrant-worker camps and those bused in daily from cities by crew leaders.
Bilingual inspectors from the DEP's Pesticide Control Program helped the enforcement team interview farm workers on site to gauge the effectiveness of current regulations.
The federal Worker Protection Standard requires agricultural employers to provide pesticide-safety training for workers who perform hand labor in the field and for those who mix, load or apply pesticides, the DEP said. The training must be provided in a language the employees understand.
Farm owners also must provide:
On-site access to pesticide safety information, including a posted list of current pesticide treatments.
Protective clothing, ample water, and soap and towels for decontamination and routine washings.
Emergency assistance or transportation for workers poisoned or injured by pesticide exposure.
Educational pamphlets and pesticide fact sheets, available through the DEP, as part of an employee orientation or annual training session.
Farm owners can obtain safety manuals and pesticide fact sheets in several languages through the DEP's Web site:
or by calling the DEP at (609) 984-6920.
By Pat Arney
The Press of Atlantic City -
8/3/2002
Well Mr. Helliker, I would like to point out the DEP staff had inspected 39 farms and violation notices were issued to 23 farms, with 15 cited for serious problems - gives you a little idea of how much misuse of your "registered" POISONS there is going on out "there". You do not bother to check how "safe" for people and/or animals all of this flagrant misuse of your "registered" POISONS is, or do you?
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
If you would like to be included in our mailing list for continuing information on pesticides, please email us at list@safe2use.com.