May 25, 1998
Exports of Hazardous Pesticides from U.S. Ports Increases
Toxic pesticides that are banned or otherwise forbidden in
the U.S. were shipped from U.S. ports at a rate of more than
14 tons per day in 1995 and 1996 -- a total of more than 21
million pounds -- according to a new report by the Foundation
for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE). The report,
which is based on U.S. Customs shipping records, documented
that more than 1.2 billion pounds of pesticide products were
exported in 1995 and 1996.
At present, U.S. policy allows the export of banned
pesticides, as well as "never registered" pesticides --
pesticides that have never been evaluated by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). FASE found that
approximately 9.4 million pounds of "never-registered"
pesticides were exported in 1995 and 1996 -- a 40% increase
since the period from 1992 through 1994. The U.S. also
exported more than 28 million pounds of pesticides designated
as "extremely hazardous" by the World Health Organization,
representing a 500% increase since 1992.
Many of the pesticides shipped from U.S. ports are destined
for developing countries. "Workers in developing countries
often have no idea of the concerns that exist in other
countries about the pesticides they are using," said Barbara
Dinham, International Projects Officer at the UK-based
Pesticides Trust. "Pesticides are applied by farmers who have
no protective equipment, nor access to medical facilities."
FASE pointed out there are indications that trade agreements
are creating pressure for developing countries to increase
their use of outdated, inexpensive and hazardous products.
"Because of the liberalization of trade, the influx of
hazardous pesticides is a very big problem," stated Dr. Grace
Ohayo-Mitoko, Executive Director of Health and Environment
Watch, an NGO in Nairobi, Kenya. "Because of trans-shipments,
we are not able to know exactly where these chemicals are
coming from. Some of the products that come from the U.S.
come in through Belgium or other countries."
The U.S. government does not maintain complete records of
pesticide shipments, and there are many data gaps. For
example, between 1992 and 1996, more than two billion pounds
of pesticides left U.S. ports with their specific chemical
names omitted from publicly accessible shipping records. "In
many cases, the description is simply 'pesticide' or 'weed
killing compound;' in others, trade names or abbreviations
are used which cannot be found in publicly-accessible
pesticide dictionaries, reference books or on-line
databases," according to Carl Smith, Senior Editor of the
report. "It isn't possible to determine how many of these
unnamed products are safe under conditions of use in the
developing world."
The report recommends changing U.S. policy to eliminate
double standards of safety. It calls for prohibiting the
export of banned pesticides from the U.S. and requiring that
full data on all pesticide shipments be made available
through a publicly accessible records system. FASE points out
that these changes would be consistent with existing U.S.
environmental laws, such as the National Environmental
Protection Act of 1969, which was created to "prevent or
eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and
stimulate the health and welfare of man."
The entire report, "Exporting Risk: Pesticide Exports from
U.S. Ports 1995-1996," is available online: www.fasenet.org.
Source: "Exporting Risk: Pesticide Exports from U.S. Ports
1995-1996," FASE.
Contact: Carl Smith, Foundation for Advancements in Science
and Education, 4801 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 215, Los Angeles,
CA 90010; phone (213) 937-9911; fax (213) 937-7440; email
cesmth@aol.com; web site: www.fasenet.org.
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