louis martin
cns news & features
Mendocino County--
Anything with the power to kill is
sure to cause distrust and unease. If not banned outright, such a
thing is regulated. Guns and automobiles are good examples. They
are regulated--too much according to their manufacturers, not
enough according to some citizen groups. Likewise, pesticides.
What can kill a rat or a tree, or a mouse or a blade of grass,
can kill you too, say some. It is all a matter of correct usage,
others claim.
``People are concerned about
having toxic chemicals in their environment,'' said Greg Krouse
of Neighbors Against Herbicides. Most recently it has been the
use of Garlon--or its parent chemical triclopyr--that has
unsettled some Comptche residents. Over the Summer a number of
residents developed mysterious flu-like symptoms that led Krouse
to suspect the use of Garlon in timber lands near Comptche.
``These people,'' said Krouse,
``were generally in areas that were bordering harvested timber
areas. There was a major clear cut, followed by spraying; and
more recently it was burned.''
So far, nothing has been
proven one way or the other.
At issue is public health and
the health of the environment, and the use of Garlon. The matter
has come up a number of times since 1985, according to
Agricultural Commissioner Dave Bengston.
Now it has come before the
Mendocino Forest Council, a group appointed by the Mendocino
Board of Supervisors to study forest issues. The council met
December 4 of last year, and they will meet again January 10.
The use of Garlon has risen
dramatically in the last few years. In 1989 almost no land was
treated by timber companies. By 1994 almost 9,000 acres were
treated.
But according to Bengston, it
is not one of the ``hot'' pesticides that are being used in the
county. Others, such as organo-phosphates, cause him more
concern, he said. He is sympathetic to those who are concerned
but said he places more value on the opinion of those with a Ph.D
in chemistry.
``Most herbicides,'' said
Bengston, ``don't have long-term toxic effects toward animal
life.'' Most, he said, are directed towards weeds. ``I can think
of a few herbicides that are `hot' with respect to workers and
worker safety,'' but triclopyr is not one of them.
Garlon has been shown by most
studies to be relatively safe if used ``according to
directions,'' but Neighbors Against Herbicides does not trust it.
Krause said that studies were either done by Dow Chemical, which
he does not trust, or by research financed by Dow. He claims
research has been inadequate or poorly done.
Said Krouse of the herbacide
manufacturers, ``They can do these little minute regulatory
things--do three or four basic studies to get minimally
registered--at which point it becomes physically impossible to
get them (the pesticides) out.''
Krouse claimed that if the
data is falsified to get approval, it is ``still difficult to get
them out because someone has to prove that the data is false.''
That he said happened with Agent Orange and Roundup.
The Mendocino Forest Council
is studying the issues. However, any resolutions passed by the
Forest Council will have no legal effect.
Currently State law does not
allow counties to regulate the use of pesticides.'' There are
some exceptions that can be exercised by the Agricultural
Commissioner, but there are not many. ``You can't go out and take
away a whole class of chemicals,'' said Pete Passof, Forest
Advisor Emeritus with UC Davis and a member of the Forest
Council.
Pesticides use is regulated by
the Federal EPA, and in the State of California pesticides are
further regulated by the State EPA. The California EPA has
stricter regulations than the federal agency, and it's laws have
been around longer.
It is hoped, however, that a
local resolution might influence State or Federal officials.
Furthermore, Passof said the Forest Council meetings offer an
opportunity for all sides in Mendocino county to ``vent and get
their concerns out and have them be listened to by another
group.''
He said one hope is that CDF
might take a more active role in pesticide regulation in
Mendocino county. That is because in Mendocino county pesticides
are being used in timber lands, not just farm lands.
In order to maximize growth of
conifers--in particular, Redwoods and Douglas Fir--timber
companies are trying to rid their lands of hardwoods, especially
Tan Oaks.
There are two methods used to
get rid of hardwoods and make room for conifers: cutting and
chipping the oaks, and using herbicides to kill them. The problem
with cutting and chipping, said Passof, is that's not always
economical. It depends on the price of chips. Therefore, the
timber companies want the option of using herbicides when chip
prices drop.
When herbicides are used in
the fields, they do not receive the notice they get in the woods,
where a whole hillside may turn brown when trees die. When use
increases, as it has in the last couple of years, the public is
sure to notice. Bengston said in 1994 he got between 50 to 60
calls from citizens over the use of Garlon. The Forest Council
also received a petition with 18,000 signatures.
While Bengston does not
consider Garlon particularly hazardous compared to some other
chemicals in use, he nevertheless said, ``People have a right to
be concerned.''
But he said that his office
has not found violations in the use of Garlon in the county. ``It
is being used properly like it's supposed to be used.'' But he
said, ``I don't want to take away people's rights to be concerned
and have their own perspective.''
One problem, according to
Bengston, is that citizens ask questions that are charged with
emotion, and chemical manufacturers ``respond in science.'' That
does not produce understanding or a resolution of the issues.
``If somebody has a fear that
they're being hurt by the pesticide--if that's their
perception--then that's a valid perception.'' That is something
that has to be dealt with, said Bengston. He said the same
problem has arisen before in fruit fly eradication projects. ``No
more is that aspect ignored; the perception is the reality,
almost,'' he said.
As a regulator, he said, the
timber companies and chemical manufacturers ``want me to be a
spokesperson'' for them. But he said he won't do that. Instead he
has urged them to go to meetings and present their views.
As it currently stands there
is little or no coordination between adjacent landowners when
they use herbicides. ``What happens,'' asked Passof, ``when four
major landowners go out in the same area?'' Both Bengston and
Passof believe that more coordination would be helpful.
(1/6/96)
Comments?
editor@coastnews.com
Return to News Page?
Return to Main Page?