Passing Pesticide Reporting in Maryland – Is the Fourth Time the Charm?
Posted February 14th, 2013 by Ruth Berlin
83% of Maryland voters are concerned about the risks of pesticides
Guess what?
It found that a whopping eight out of 10 voters said they are concerned about the risk of pesticides to their families’ health. (I want to meet the two out of 10 who are not concerned!) When informed about the links to chronic illnesses and environmental problems, that number rose to 92 percent.
Plus, we found a large majority of voters in favor of making the reporting of commercial pesticide use mandatory—which it is not currently. Public health experts need this information in order to assess links between illness clusters and pesticide use in our communities.
We know pesticides are dangerous. Scientists have found links between pesticide use and infant leukemia, ADHD, Parkinson’s, disappearing honey bees, breast cancer, and the decimation of the world’s frog population, just to name a few unsavory outcomes.
C’mon, people, they are designed to kill, after all.
So why are we having so much trouble getting a simple online pesticide use reporting bill passed by the Maryland General Assembly?
Why has similar legislation failed every single time it’s been introduced in the Maryland General Assembly?
Sadly, it’s because our legislators have too often been blindsided by the industry they were elected to protect consumers from.
Despite what you may hear from the so-called “Farm Bureau,” the lawn-care industry and the chemical industry, this bill:
- Won’t create an additional paperwork burden. Maryland farmers and commercial applicators are already required to keep records of the pesticides they use. This bill simply requires those numbers to be reported to a centralized database. Many farmers contract with someone else to do their pesticide applications. In those cases, farmers aren’t required to do a thing—the applicators would do the reporting.
- Won’t cost taxpayers a dime. Chemical manufacturers like Dow, Monsanto, and Bayer already pay an annual per product registration fee–that would be increased to cover the database setup and maintenance costs.
and
Industry opposition has killed this safe, sane and not-at-all burdensome bill the three previous times it’s been introduced. Our public health and environmental experts, who are working to protect us, need to know what kinds of toxic substances are in our food, water and air. This bill will provide them with that knowledge.
Help us pass this common sense bill. Help make a difference. Sign our petition now.
Ruth Berlin, L.C.S.W.-C., is founder and Executive Director of the Maryland Pesticide Network. She is also a practicing psychotherapist. She can be reached at mpnberlin@gmail.com.
2 Comments
February 14, 2013 at 10:56 am by Dawn StoltzfusThis bill reminds me of the 2006 Maryland Healthy Air Act – the strongest power plant law on the East Coast – which passed despite strong and well funded industry opposition. That bill also took several years to pass, but in 2006 the difference was organized support by public health groups and by moms wanting to protect their kids! Not just environmentalists.
Back then the industry all said, it’s too expensive, it’s going to raise fees, it can’t be done, we’ll go out of business…. years later Maryland’s air is much cleaner and our kids are safer – oh and by the way we created a bunch of jobs!
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Alejandro Arce Reply:
February 25th, 2013 at 8:14 am
I am a retired Environmental Toxicologist who worked for the private industries asa well aas for the Federal Goverment at EPA.
The subject of pesticides is not an easy one . One have to be totally ambiased in order to maker an statement regarding the benefitsd against the deleterious effects of pesticides.
I will start by informing you that , we the United Staes of America produces more pesticides than mpost other nations; followed by the Swiss, Germans, Israelis and other countries that have tremendous POWER because of the Lobyists.
In order to study the effects of pesticides and RULE about their use ( I was one of the toxicologist who approved or disapproved the use), studies have to be submitted to be vaulated by the Feds.
The studies are, as far as I remenber, Acute,sub chronic and chronic; besides studies by the fish and wild life people and others.
We approved or dis-approved the uses according to the feects, following strict rules. Once approved they will go to the FDR and published becoming a regulation or a law.
The producers of pesticidal products also are the producers of medical drugs and Switzerland is one of the biggest producers.
Such people have trmendous power and < as far as i habe been informed CONTRIBUTE to the capoign of politicians elections.
We are not as clean as we think to be. Anyway, they can put pressure and , sometimes , using congressmenr attempt to get their products in the market, even when declare to produce delterious effects such as cancer and thge known effect of debilitation situiation produced by organo phosphates and carbamates, THAT IN MANY INSTANCES AFFECT CHILDREN USED FOR THE COLLECTION OF THE CROPS, MAINLY IN THE SO CLEAN STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
It is criminal and the several departments involved in the regulations , are following the tendency of NOT DOING THE WORK, RESEARCH THGEM SELVES BUT HIRING PRIVATE LABS OR PRIVATE "CONSULTANTS TO DO THEIR JOB.
It only touches the tip of the iceberg and wish luck in your efforts.
NOTE: One can fihjt the Governement and , somehow have some protection, try to fight the private industry and you will see the concequences.
I wish you the best , but I will not be able to participate for the following reason.
DESPITE THAT PESTICIDEA RE DELETERIUOS TO OUR HEALTH AND HAVE, also a commulative effect, when combined by the so many "JUNK" we use. We Americans are very fastidious about our food and request that they are presented in a visualy approved way. We don't eat natural product for the reason that they don't look CLEAN AND PRETTY, therfore wew have to use pesticides to make thgem look good and also TO HAVE THE EXTREME PRODUCTION TO FEED OUR "gluton" POPULATION.
jUST THINK THAT WE ARE THE SPOILEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND THAT , WITH OUR ARROGANCE WE HAVE DECLARE OURSLEVES THE DICTATORS OF EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE HEALTH OF OUR PEOPLE …FOR PROFIT.
AGAIN I WISH YOU THE BEST.
Life is to short and I am heslthy and active at the age of 80 years old. I eat whatever i want o eat and don't waste my time in sub jects I can not resolv.
BESIDES, IN CAPITAL LETTERS.
"We are a nation that uses more street drugs "KUNK" that any other nation. so Hoe are we fight the pesticies industries when we love junk and idiocies such as the protable phones and their deleterious effects/
Think about. It is bad an I am not sure when wwe will be able to resolve such immense problem as our arrogance and communal idiocy as the
loosing weight
ONE POUND FOR,DOLLAR/PERDAY
Whta a buch of insensible idiots wwe are, eating like pigs, compkaining and gaining moree weight while millions of people are dying of hunger.
i will help you but I will be direct.
I have witnessed in congress and i am not afriad of GOD therfore i will not be afraid of the devil.
Feel free to publish this article, but , please, please, please CORRECT IT/
I have muy bad spells.
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