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EARTH ACTION 81 Prince Street Charlottetown PEI C1A 4R3 Tel: 902-621-0719 Email: slabchuk@isn.net MEDIA RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 5, 2002 Banning one pesticide is not enough - PEI is awash in groundwater polluting pesticides Charlottetown - The Province's decision to ban the use of 1,3-dichloropropene in PEI means the people of Alberton are safe from future exposure to this chemical but the environmental activist group Earth Action wants to know what Environment Minister Chester Gillan will do to protect the rest of PEI citizen's from known groundwater polluting pesticides. "1,3-dichloropropene is only one of many known groundwater polluting chemicals used in this Province," says Earth Action spokesperson Sharon Labchuk. " And it's not even the worst." Labchuk says anyone living near a sprayed field risks drinking pesticide-laced water, and central water supply systems are not safe either. "Admire is a potato insecticide used on virtually every potato field on PEI. It was first registered for use on PEI in the mid-90's and we protested it at the time because it is a known groundwater polluter. The label states: This chemical demonstrates the properties and characteristics associated with chemicals detected in groundwater. The use of Admire 240F in areas where soils are permeable particularly where the water table is shallow, may result in groundwater contamination." Labchuk says other crops grown on PEI also use pesticides known to have contaminated groundwater in other countries. "Atrazine is a herbicide used on corn. This notorious drinking water pollutant has poisoned thousands of wells in the United States and is listed by that government as a possible human carcinogen. Hexazinone is a herbicide used on blueberries, also listed as a possible human carcinogen. It's known to pollute groundwater and in fact has been detected in PEI groundwater." Labchuk says while the ban on 1-3, dichloropropene is welcome, government risked very little by banning a chemical not widely used on PEI. Earth Action believes the only solution to the contamination of water, air, soil and living things on PEI is to move to a totally organic system of growing food. "Until we do move to a 100 per cent organic system, citizens should have access to free water testing. And the cost of these tests should not be borne by taxpayers. This would amount to a subsidy to the agriculture industry. Water testing costs should be paid for by the agriculture and pesticide industries. We can start by making pesticide users pay taxes on the chemicals they buy." "Banning chemicals one by one, only after they have caused harm, is simply an unacceptable way to deal with the very real and very serious problems we are facing on PEI from the use of toxic pesticides," says Labchuk. -30- Contact: Sharon Labchuk 902-621-0719 ================= Subscribe to Earth Action's Weekly Bulletin (it's free). Send an email to <majordomo@flora.org> with the following command in the body of your email message: subscribe earth-action ************ 'Something in the Air' - a new National Film Board of Canada documentary by PEI filmaker Sylvie Dauphinais. Filmed on Prince Edward Island. Agricultural pesticide spray drift, children and the air they breathe. Available in French or English. In Canada call: 1-800-267-7710. In USA call: 1-800-542-2164. http://cmm.onf.ca/E/titleinfo/index.epl?id=50655 ***************** Sharon Labchuk Earth Action 81 Prince Street, Charlottetown, PEI Canada C1A 4R3 phone 902-621-0719 slabchuk@isn.net =============== -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- SUST-MAR TIP: copyright material cannot be posted to the list CBC enviro news-briefs follow: -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- NAVY DEEMS HALIFAX HARBOUR HEALTH RISK TO DIVERS The Canadian military says the Halifax harbour is so polluted, it's a hazard to its divers. Now the navy is outfitting divers in special suits to protect them from the dirty water. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_navdiv20021205 POWER COSTS GOING UP IN NOVA SCOTIA Homeowners will be paying a couple dollars more every month for power, now that the province's utility board has approved new rates for Nova Scotia Power. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_powrat20021204 PROVINCE WOOING ICELAND AIRLINE The Tory government is ready to put tax dollars into the effort to lure back Icelandair to Halifax. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_icecla20021204 © Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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