On July 10th, 2008 U.S. EPA announced its decision on the Fumigant Cluster Assessment. EPA offered a comment period on the proposed fumigant regulations, which closed on October 30, 2008. EPA announced a revised and final decision on May 27, 2009, but these are not expected to fully come into effect for two years. The decision affects all the fumigants but Telone. The agency will revisit fumigant restrictions again in 2013.
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On this page:
- What are fumigant pesticides?
- Fumigants poison communities and workers
- Why a campaign on fumigants?
- How to get involved
- Resources
What are fumigant pesticides?
Fumigants are highly toxic pesticides that are used to sterilize soil before planting many crops like strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, potatoes, and tobacco. These pesticides are also used to fumigate structures, stored food, greenhouses and imported goods. Application rates for soil fumigants are 50-400 pounds per acre, as compared to more typical rates of 1-5 pounds per acre for other pesticides. Due to their gaseous state and high application rates, fumigants pose risks to workers and nearby communities for several days and up to several weeks after the application.
Fumigants poisonings of communities and workers
Fumigant pesticides are among the most toxic chemicals used in agriculture and account for about 10% of all pesticides used in the U.S. Communities and farmworkers near agricultural fields face serious risks of acute pesticide poisoning from drifting fumigants. In 1998, 38 metam sodium poisonings occurred in Florida, California, Texas, Oregon, New York, Louisiana, and Arizona. Between 1992 and 2001, 94 methyl bromide poisoning incidents occurred nationwide. As recently as October 2005, at least 300 people, including paramedics, were poisoned by chloropicrin when a strawberry field a quarter-mile away was fumigated in Salinas, California. Long-lasting effects have been observed from these incidents, including chronic bronchitis, damaged eyesight, nervous system toxicity, and asthma. Find out more about fumigant health effects.Why a campaign on fumigants?
"Sometimes I couldn't stand how my eyes were watering and my throathurt; I couldn't stand the gas. I would run outside the field to getsome air. Now I can't breathe well, and my vision is blurry." -- Jorge Fernandez, farmworker poisoned by methyl bromide. Salinas, CAThe U.S. EPA is currently evaluating all fumigant pesticides for possible re-registration, including methyl bromide, metam sodium, chloropicrin and telone. U.S. EPA's Fumigant Cluster Assessment process has provided newly available toxicity data and exposure estimates that show that fumigant pesticides are too hazardous for current use patterns to continue. The Fumigant Cluster Assessment process provides an oppportunity for the public to provide input to U.S. EPA. Find out more about the fumigant review process.
PANNA, together with motivated partners and an active network, is committed to protecting workers, communities and the environment from fumigants use, and promoting a transition to sustainable alternatives.
How to get involved-Fumigant Cluster Assessment
On July 16, 2008 EPA published in the Federal Register new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides. Though EPA said that the decisions on soil fumigants were final, it accepted public comments until October 30, 2008. On May 27, 2009, further revisions of the final rules were announced.
PANNA and its partners provided comments on EPA's decision on the Fumigant Cluster Assessment. Also, on October 30, 2008 a petition signed by thousands of people was submmitted to US EPA demanding that fumigant regulations be strenthened and not weakened during the last phase of the reregistration process, and requesting a timeline for the phase-out of fumigant pesticides.
You can view EPA's risk mitigation measures to reduce exposures to fumigants.
On November 1, 2007 PANNA's sent a Petition to EPA [English / Español] requesting an eventual phaseout of these toxic chemicals and the implementation of strong protective measures in the interim time period. EPA opened a comment period on proposed fumigant mitigation measures in 2007 that closed on November 3rd, 2007.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us: Phone: (415) 981-1771 Email: chela@panna.org
Resources
Farmworker Pesticide Project report on Washington state test results of the fumignt pesticide MITC in the air www.fwpp.org
A Community Guide to Recognizing & Reporting Pesticide Problems: DPR Handbook
Spring 2006 PAN Magazine: Fumigants Must Go!
PANNA's main Fumigants page: Fumigant Pesticides Up for Review
U.S. EPA's Fumigant Cluster Assessment main page: Soil Fumigant Assessments