Pesticides in PEI and Maritime Rivers

From: "Helen Jones" <hjones@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: "'Sustainable-Maritimes'" <sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 11:37:10 -0300
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Planning to swim in PEI near any of its river outlets?

I wouldn't.

The following pesticides were found in PEI rivers in 1999 and/or 2000:

Atrazine, Chlorothalonil, Metribuzin, Endosulfan I and II, Cis-permethrin,
Cypermethrin, Trans-permethrin, Fenvalerate, Deltamethrin, Alkylphenols,
Pirimicarb, Carbofuran, Phorate, Dimethoate, Fonofos, Diazinon, Disulfoton,
Metalaxyl, Linuron, Malathion, Chlorpyrifos, Phosmet, Methoxychlor, and
Azinphosmethyl.

What pesticides, co-formulants, and toxic breakdown products are present in
other Maritime rivers?  Shouldn't we be asking?  Shouldn't this be
publicized regularly without asking?  Forest pesticide applications such as
Irving's Roundup sprayings would have to be added to the list of
possibilities.  Many pesticides are hormone disruptors and carcinogenic,
besides interfering with the ability of migrating young fish to make the
transition from fresh to salt water and back again.

The same regulatory process that "guarded" the cod stocks is guarding the
salmon.

No wonder the fish are dieing.

On the West Coast, a major court ruling has recently found the US EPA
negligent in protecting Pacific salmon from the harmful effects of
fifty-five pesticides (details are below).


Food for thought.


Helen Jones




======================
August 5, 2002


The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) is pleased to
report a significant legal victory in our efforts to protect Pacific salmon
and water quality from pesticide contamination.  For over twelve years, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has blatantly violated their
mandate to evaluate the impact of pesticides on 26 Pacific salmon species
listed under the Endangered Species Act.  As part of the Clean Water for
Salmon Campaign, NCAP has been working for the past two years with
Washington Toxics Coalition, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermens
Association and Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund on this particular
Endangered Species Act lawsuit.

All of our work on research, negotiation proceedings, and litigation has
paid off.   On July 2, 2002, U.S. Federal District Court Judge John
Coughenour ruled that the EPA has failed to fulfill its obligations and must
take action immediately to begin protecting Pacific salmon from the harmful
effects of fifty-five pesticides. Judge Coughenour called EPA's "wholesale
non-compliance" with its Endangered Species Act obligations "patently
unlawful."

This is a major victory for salmon and the communities that depend on the
quality of the Northwest's waters.  Our efforts would not have been possible
without your support.
You can learn more about the Clean Water for Salmon Campaign and the science
behind the litigation off of NCAP's website at:
http://www.pesticide.org/CleanWaterSalmon.html


Our recent ruling is a giant step forward down the path of protecting the
region's waterways from the contamination of pesticides.  It sets a
precedent for the protection of endangered or threatened species from
pesticides across the country by holding the EPA accountable for the first
time on the harmful effects that registered pesticides may pose to species'
survival.  And, it strengthens the Clean Water for Salmon Campaign as we
head deeper into the battle of protecting our waterways, our wildlife, and
ourselves from harmful pesticide contamination.

Many thanks,

Pollyanna Lind
Clean Water Campaign Coordinator
salmon@pesticide.org


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The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP)
P.O. Box 1393, Eugene, OR  97440
phone (541) 344-5044, ext 17
Fax (541) 344-6923
www.pesticide.org

NCAP's work is supported in large part by dues from our members.  If you
are not already a member, please consider joining!  Our dues are $25 per
year, $15 limited income.  Members receive our quarterly "Journal of
Pesticide Reform," as well as periodic Action Alerts on timely pesticide
reform topics.



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