|
Farmworkers say fumigant rule is too weak
A coalition of farmworker rights groups is castigating the Environmental
Protection Agency, claiming that new regulations surrounding fumigants
don’t do enough to protect people who work and live around fields where
the pesticides are used.
“This is why we were all trying to put pressure on the EPA, so they
could do some justice,” said Mily Treviño-Sauceda, executive director of
Lideres Campesinas in Oxnard.
But she said the final rule the EPA approved last month doesn’t go far
enough.
The new regulations create buffer zones, enforce posting requirements
and increase training programs. Fumigants such as methyl bromide are
applied to the soil before planting to get rid of all bugs and diseases
in the soil. Too much exposure to it can result in damage to the
respiratory and nervous systems.
But the EPA said the new rules do give an added layer of protection.
“With new restrictions, we’re allowing the continued use of fumigant
pesticides without risking human health and the environment,” said EPA
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson when the rules were announced in May.
A letter Thursday signed by 28 activist groups around the country claims
the buffer zone provision is not enforceable and the safety measures do
not do enough to protect workers.
The groups have asked the EPA to amend the new rule, which takes effect
next year.
|