Process of Methyl Iodide Registration is Still Ongoing.

Hello Everyone! A couple days ago we learned that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation(CDPR or DPR) had over 50 thousand messages during their "Request for Public Comment" period. What a wonderful bit of news. I have taken the liberty to edit Asm. Bill Monning's message:

Tell the State of California WE THE PEOPLE don't want methyl iodide approved. (Share)
Today at 1:20pm | Edit Draft | Discard Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 1:17pm

Dear friends, [ I am a bad constituent. I take my Assemblymember's message update it and write all over it :: the note is from Bill Monning. ** edited without permission.]

This is [Pesticides are] an important issue so please act and share [this information] with your friends. Keep Methyl Iodide out of California Fields [and out of out of our water].... Comment period [ended yesterday]: June 29th. [The resistance action should continue watching closely and monitoring. We need to stay on this issue until the decision is final. Here is the CDPR newsletter page: sign up and stay informed. Elists: (electronic mailing lists) http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/dept/listserv/listdesc.htm ]

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) is on the verge of approving a dangerous carcinogenic gas—Methyl Iodide—for use on strawberry fields and other food crops.

Methyl Iodide is so toxic that scientists in labs use only small amounts and wear special protective equipment. In fact it's so reliably carcinogenic researchers use it to induce cancer.

Because it's a fumigant, a constant threat exists for it to drift onto farm workers and into rural communities like Watsonville [, Ventura county and anywhere crops are grown].

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR)’s Independent California Scientific Review Committee (SRC) found "any anticipated scenario for the agricultural...use of this agent would...have a significant adverse impact on the public health."

What you can do: [sign up and stay informed. Elists: (electronic mailing lists) http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/dept/listserv/listdesc.htm (Each newsletter must be subscribed too individually.)]

Write to members of the California Senate Food and Agriculture Committee,

• Senator Dean Florez (Chair): http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/district/sd_16/_home
• Senator Bill Emmerson (Vice-Chair): http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/district/sd_37/_home
• Senator Loni Hancock: http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/district/sd_09/_home
• Senator Dennis Hollingsworth: http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/district/sd_36/_home
• Senator Lois Wolk: http://www.sen.ca.gov/ftp/sen/district/sd_05/_home
  

Members of the panel testified. Dr. John Froines of UCLA who chaired the committee, said, "This is, without question, one of the most toxic chemicals on earth." [video coming soon! ] CDPR does not seem to be listening to the scientists they hired.

Please help. If Methyl Iodide use is approved, this toxic poison can be released directly into California's air. We have to stop this. The CDPR is accepting public comments on its proposal through June 29th. Please take the time to send an e-mail to the CDPR immediately and ask them not to release this toxin into our environment. [This email may not be any good now that the deadline has passed mei_comments@cdpr.ca.gov ]

Here are some themes you may wish to write about:

• methyl iodide is a potential occupational carcinogen as defined by the OSHA carcinogen policy;
• children do not process toxins as well as adults because their livers are not as developed;
• adding to a community’s health care burden in these times is foolish;
• organic farmers grow delicious strawberries without this fumigant;[Swanton Berry Farm]
• remove the incentive to require this fumigant from banks and insurance companies that require a fumigant before loaning funds or insuring crops; [ I had no idea that was is a requirement.]
• Methyl iodide is linked to long-term illnesses, including brain damage, miscarriage, and cancer;
• The Department of Pesticide Regulation has a duty to stand up for Californians not [ just ] the big chemical and agribusiness companies; [Who have lots of cool incentives like African Safari trips and Fly-fishing trips, just to name a couple. ]
• The CDPR director Mary-Ann Warmerdam says farmworkers and neighbors can take safety precautions, including wearing tightly-fitted respirators at all times and vacating the area; [Hmm: I can't imagine her thinking that was something she is willing to do herself. ]
• EU classification is Toxic (T), Carcinogen Cat. 3
• rural regions deserve protection from this highly volatile and toxic pesticide; [ Since some of our wealthiest Americans live in rural areas. ]
• 50 scientists, including five Nobel laureates, characterize methyl iodide as “one of the more toxic chemicals used in manufacturing”

http://action.panna.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4106

The company that manufactures methyl iodide is Arysta LifeScience Corporation.

http://www.arystalifescience.com/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=1118

[ and one more link :: http://www.arystalifescience.com/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=1432 and product list has changed http://www.arystalifescience.com/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=1279 The top of the list used to include: Midas - Like the king who killed everything he touched - too prophetic. ]

[Thank's Bill for writing such a nice letter to us. ]
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[Footnote (from earlier this year): Arysta LifeScience announced Japan has granted commercial registration for YOKAFUME®, a broad-spectrum soil fumigant based on iodoemethane and marketed as MIDAS® in the United States. YOKAFUME® effectively controls a broad range of soil-borne diseases, nematodes, weed seeds and insects that threaten high-value crops and is approved for soil use for tomatoes, melons and commodity fumigation of chestnuts. An expansion of the label to include ginger and myoga is expected in 2010.

MIDAS®, approved by the U.S. EPA in 2007, does not deplete the ozone layer and is the only viable drop-in replacement for methyl bromide on the market today. "The phase out of methyl bromide has impacted growers worldwide," said Mike Allan, Global Business Development Manager for Fumigants. "YOKAFUME® delivers to the Japanese agricultural marketplace a new standard for agricultural practices and technology that adheres to the highest standards for stewardship and environmental protection." [NOT!] ]