Protecting Their Potential: Children and hazardous pesticides

Paul Towers, Organizing & Media Director

Hawai’i Senate Health Committee

January 20, 2015

PAN International

o  600+ organizations

o  90+ countries

o  Anchored by 5 Regional Centers

o  Shared goals & principles

Children’s Health Harms on the Rise, 1975 - 2011

Kids are exposed to pesticides where they live, learn & play

Environments we’d like to consider “safe” — from womb to classroom to kitchen table — often bring children into contact with harmful pesticides.

Kids are exposed to pesticides where they live, learn & play

What’s being applied?

Pesticide Drift

“When labels of pesticide products state that off-target drift is to be avoided or prohibited, our policy is straightforward: pesticide drift from the target site is to be prevented. However, we recognize that some degree of drift of spray particles will occur from nearly all applications.”

- US Environmental Protection Agency website

Drift: What UH found on Kaua’i

Date Chlorpyrifos detected in air at Waimea Canon Middle School?

9/22/10-1/21/11 þ

6/6/11 – 10/12/11 þ

10/12/11 – 2/12/12 þ

2/12/12 – 6/11/12 þ

Drift: What we’ve found

Location Pesticide Observed Distance (to edge of field)

Used in Hawai’i

Minnesota potato field

Chlorpyrifos 150 ft þ

California citrus orchard

Chlorpyrifos 50 ft þ

Washington apple orchards

Chlorpyrifos 46 ft þ

Kaua’i: Atrazine detected 19 times in drinking water in last 12 years.

Oahu: DBCP contamination closes down 10 wells near pineapple fields in 1980s.

Oahu: Heptachlor contamination of milk and women’s breast milk in 1980s.

Hawai’i: 10 of islands 22 wells show traces of atrazine in 2013.

Hawai’i, historically

Hawai’i, historically

“We approached the problem within the perspective of our times. We helped government agencies realize that the standards for pesticide use accepted a generation ago were simply not accepted today.”

- Hawaii Rep. Samuel Sang Hoy Lee

Policy Recommendations

How?

v Individual choices help.

v We need local, state & national policy change.

Policy Recommendations

Robust Evaluations :: better understand impacts of use before

Policy Recommendations

Right to Know :: public registry for use and notification

Types of disclosure Type States, for example Details

Pesticide use registry

California County officials manage pesticide use, compile and share with state for public website and database.

Neighbor notification

Maine Anyone can request to be notified of what is being applied within 500 feet.

Posted notification

Connecticut Posted notification for abutting neighbors.

Policy Recommendations

Necessary restrictions :: recognize local conditions and limit pesticide use

Policy Recommendations

Critical protections :: needed for most sensitive populations, esp kids

Pesticide buffer zones

Pesticide buffer zones

Pesticide buffer zones

0 500 1000 1500

Fresno County, California

Kern County, California

Santa Barbara County, California

Kaua'i County, Hawai'I (Proposed)

State of Vermont

State of New Jersey

State of Arizona

Distance (feet)

Pesticide buffer zones

Pesticide buffer zones

Pesticide buffer zones

Pesticide buffer zones

Pesticide buffer zones

Online Resources

v Pesticide drift resources:: www.panna.org/drift

v What’s On My Food? www.whatsonmyfood.org

v Analysis :: GroundTruth Blog, www.panna.org/blog

v Pesticide information :: detailed toxicity & regulatory info, www.pesticideinfo.org