EPA Violates International Treaty in Allowing Massive Increase of Methyl Bromide Pesticide Use

Posted 12/21/04

EPA Violates International Treaty in Allowing Massive Increase of Methyl
Bromide Pesticide Use

"OUTGOING ADMINISTRATOR APPROVES INCREASED USE OF PESTICIDES BEFORE TRANSFER TO HHS:" (12/16/04):
http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/041216.asp

Outgoing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael
Leavitt will release regulations today allowing a 2 million pound increase
in 2005 in the use of methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting and cancer-causing
farm chemical, in violation of both an international treaty and the Clean
Air Act. This new action follows several other decisions by the Bush
administration to allow more use of the pesticide. "Catering to a handful
of big chemical and agribusiness interests, the Bush administration is
actually expanding the use of this dangerous, ozone-destroying chemical,"
said David Doniger, policy director of the NRDC (Natural Resources
Defense Council) Climate Center. "More methyl bromide means more
ozone depletion and higher risks of skin cancer, cataracts, and immune
diseases for millions of Americans."

The EPA exemptions will allow agribusiness interests to use 19.7 million
pounds of methyl bromide next year... More than three-quarters of the
chemical will be used by two crops -- Florida tomatoes and California
strawberries. The rules violate conditions that countries use up the
available stockpile of methyl bromide before authorizing new production
conditions the Bush administration agreed to in Montreal Protocol talks
with 180 countries just last March. The Bush administration's move
contrasts sharply with action this week by the European Union, which is
dramatically cutting methyl bromide use across the continent, including
the tomato- and strawberry-growing regions of Italy, Spain, and other
southern European countries.