New Challenges in Methyl Bromide Ban

Environmental advocates are calling for tighter controls on the farm pesticide methyl bromide, after finding out there’s more of the chemical sitting around in places such as railroad tank cars. Chuck Quirmbach reports:

Transcript

Environmental advocates are calling for tighter controls on the farm pesticide methyl bromide, after finding out there’s more of the chemical sitting around in places such as railroad tank cars. Chuck Quirmbach reports:


Under an international agreement made during the 1980’s, the US is supposed to be phasing out use of methyl bromide. The chemical is linked to potential health risks and destruction of the ozone layer.


But it was recently learned that the size of the US stockpile of methyl bromide is larger than previously revealed. Now the Bush Administration has promised the US would try to cut production of methyl bromide while reducing the stockpile.


David Doniger of the Natural Resources Defense Council says it’s now up to the EPA to live up to that promise in upcoming regulations.


“The EPA needs to cut that production allowance, because the stockpiles are there to meet the needs.”


The EPA says it’s trying to keep a “strategic reserve” of methyl bromide, while a lot of money is being spent on developing alternative pesticides.


For the Environment Report, I’m Chuck Quirmbach.

Related Links

Azm Phaseout Leaves Fruit Farmers Hanging

Environmental groups are considering resuming their lawsuit against the EPA. They say it’s a travesty the agency has tacked an extra couple of years onto their original plan to phase out a widely used pesticide. But some fruit growers are struggling to find an alternative that’s as effective as what they’re losing. Bob Allen reports their industry has little margin for error:

Transcript

Environmental groups are considering resuming their lawsuit against the EPA. They say it’s a travesty the agency has tacked an extra couple of years onto their original plan to phase out a widely used pesticide. But some fruit growers are struggling to find an alternative that’s as effective as what they’re losing. Bob Allen reports their industry has little margin for error:


Azinphos methyl or AZM is the main insecticide used in cherry and apple orchards. The cherry industry has zero tolerance for any insect parts found in the fruit. Whole truckloads of cherries have been dumped because of a single fruit fly maggot.


Michigan State University researcher Mark Whalon says so far there’s no alternative to AZM that can do the job. He’s been testing the use of alternatives in orchards for the last three years.


“Other locations where cherries are grown can use these compounds, export them into our markets and essentially put us out of business because they can grow cherries at a very much reduced cost.”


This spring EPA planned to phase out AZM on fruit by 2010. But a week ago the agency decided to allow its use to continue two years beyond that.


For The Environment Report, I’m Bob Allen.

Related Links