OCR Text |
Show , The Paper That Dares To Take A Stand November 18, 1976 The Utah Independent Page 7 THE POWER OF adults in non-wo- situations. There were rk no deaths in the occupational category in 1970. During 1970 there were 1,493 reports of occupational disease pesticides and other chemicals. Subsequent t attributed' to agricultural adoption of stringent pesticide regulations by the California Department of Agriculture had a marked effect on these incidences of pesticide poisoning. During 1971, only one episode was reported which affected several field workers in a crew. worker-safe- ty THE FALLACY AND HARM OF THE BAN AGAINST D.D.T. THE EPA William Ruckelshaus, then EPA head,- judged and levied penalties (of denial and his successor Russell Train, refused, of use) against all the users of these even to listen to EPAs own hearing pesticides. The chemical companies, who examiner on DDT, Edmund Sweeney. In have made a tremendous investment in documents released April 25, 1972, the research and development of the Sweeney stated: pesticides are severely penalized, as are the farmers who use the pesticides to 'DDT is extremely low in toxicity protect their crops. And who pays the to man. DDT is not a safety hazard to man when used as directed.... price in the long run? Every consumer in the country DDT is not a carcinogenic in the form of higher g) - . (cancer-producin- prices for agricultural products. Commenting on Trains arbitrary decree, Joe H. Ferguson, writing in the August 7, 1975, issue of the UTAH hazard to man.... DDT is not a mutagenic or teratogenic hazard to man. The uses of DDT under the registration Involved here do not have a deleterious effect on fresh- INDEPENDENT declared: water fish, estuarine organisms, wild birds or other wildlife.... The adverse effect on beneficial animals from the use of DDT under the registrations involved here, is not unreasonable in balance with its benefit.. ..There Environmental overkill, the dictatorial restriction forced on the American people by the Environmental Protection Agency in the name of ecology, has often done more harm than good to the environment. is a present need for the continued use of DDT for the essential uses Foresters, homebuilders, and consumers defined in this case. aliKe are now paying for the that led to the ban of DDT Nevertheless, ignoring the evidence, without a potent alternative. the EPA listened to the scaremongers. In this connection, former CongressSo, what happened? man John R. Rarick in a press release By the fall of 1973, the House Agrion October 19, 1973, had this to say: cultural Subcommittee had received sworn overthe and public Congress testimony that more than a million acres reacted to the demands of 'environof trees in Pennsylvania and about 650,000 mental authorities when they lobbied acres of trees in the Northwest had been for the DDT ban. Now we are losing millions of board feet of timber, killed, and hundreds of thousands of acres of dollars millions each year, of trees in New England had been damaged costing because simply professional by moths; that the corn ear worm had foresters have no effective pesticide reduced the lettuce crop in New Jersey to control insect damage to forests. An alarming destruction of by more than two thirds; and so on forests on both the East and West all because DDT had been banned. coasts has resulted from massive E.P.A. BANS CHLORDANE AND insect infestation. The gypsy and HEPTACHLOR PESTICIDES eco-hyste- If a handful of unelected bureau- crats can, any time, put any business out of business by merely making an accusation that their product might not be safe, we are in serious trouble. 'The fact is, they are doing so and we ore in trouble. ria LICENSING FARMERS TO FARM On October 9, 1974, the EPA published proposed regulation under which States a are to take over the task of qualifying farmers as pesticide applicators virtually licensing farmers to farm. The State of Minnesota responded by proposing that purchasers of restricted pesticides be required simply to sign a form affirming that they have read and understood the directions for the use of the pesticide purchased, and that they . tussock moths have killed fozests just as certainly as raging forest It is generally agreed that chlordane and heptachlor are two of the safest, DDT was ordered The ban against by most effective, and least expensive inof months the EPA after nine hearings secticides on the market. which the 1972 1971 and in agency during These two pesticides, which are widely and the public were subjected to a used in agriculture and home gardens, the about of charges received on December 12, 1975, a clean of DDT. dangers bill of health from Judge Herbert Perlman the September 24, 1975, of the Environmental Protection Agency. However, in OF THE NEWS REVIEW issue of the Perlman dismissed his agencys Judge is found the following: case in support of suspending the two The American Medical Assocompounds. In effect, his ruling states ciations councils on Occupational that EPA Administrator Russell Train Health and on Environmental and Public Health found five years ago doesnt have a leg to stand on from a that it is an established fact that scientific standpoint. Weeks of testimony have who handlers . while pesticide from leading scientists, environmental been studied with great care for organizations, and pesticide manufac30 y e a r s have DDT concentrations in turers disclosed no threat to man or fat up to 50 times that of the general nature when chlordane and heptachlor are population, 'careful research has shown no interference with their used according to the label instructions, fires. long-bombardme- health exdespite posure. Injuries to humans have been observed only in persons who accidentally receive acute massive doses. long-continu- ed The OtfRiVAL of the AmericanMedical Association in its July 29, 1974, issue carried an article by Thomas H. Jukes, PhD. DSc., medical biochemist at the University of California at Richmond. In his article, the California scientist reviews the major complaints against the insecticide: DDT is stored in body fat, but there has been no indication this causes harm. It is present in small, quantities in breast milk, but no harm to infants has been noted. There is absolutely no real evidence that DDT causes cancer, Dr. Jukes wrote. He further said that adverse effects of DDT on wildlife could be prevented or minimized by proper use of the pesticide. Dr. Jukes article strongly suggested that the. decision to ban DDT occurred in an atmosphere of environmentalist crusading in which the many benefits in-of the compound were ignored. These clude the elimination of endemic malaria, which once affected more than 960 million people. uvtw-i- p w federal penalties for failure to do so. But the EPA bureaucrats rejected However, twelve days later, 0X1 December 24, EPA chief Russell Train issued an edict banning chlordane and heptachlor. The EPA had no evidence that these - this procedure and advised Minnesota that written tests must be passed! On February 17, 1975, the EPA issued a press release stipulating that the written examination would be required of farmers nationwide. The press release reports 2 million poSgibly i.M many farmers and roughly 90,000 commercial applicators Will seek certification from the States. Commenting on this EPA requirement, two pesticides are dangerous or cause cancer. If this federal agency had such proof. Judge Perlman would never have the REVIEW 0F THE NEWS of April in favor of the continued 23, 1975, said: ruled as he did use of chlordane and heptachlor. jn September of 1975, Congressman use and sate production, By balming Symms caiiedfor such a move , explaining: of the two pesticides, the EPA s chief gpA have displayed bureaucrat. Train, has in fact accused, THE INDEPENDENT P.O. Box 636 AMERICAN 1 Littleton, Colorado 80120 5 10 Please send me Payment of $ . representatives continued on page 10 N0TE D,SC0UNTS FR QUANTITY ORDERS 25 copies $18.75 $1.50 copy copies - $4.50 50 copies copies - $8.25 100 -- - $36.00 copies - $67.50 .copies of The Federal Monster by Phoebe Courtney (160 pages, paperback, indexed) .is enclosed. (Please send check or money order) Mrs. Mr. Street City and State Zip Code |