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Newfoundland To Risk Lives
In New Pesticide Spray Program
Bob Diamond
April 3, 2001

The Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods has made application to the Department of Environment and Labour for approval of a forest pesticide spray program for 2001. The Forestry Department is proposing the use of four insecticides, Mimic, Neemix, Btk and a virus NeabNpy. Although such pesticide spray programs puts the health of people and the environment at risk, these spray programs have never been subject to full environmental assessment as per the Provincial Environmental Assessment Act. Following the proponents (the paper companies and the Forest Service) registering proposed forest spray programs with the Department of the Environment, the provincial environment minister has always used his discretionary power to approve forest pesticide spraying without further environmental assessment.

"Three federal government reports, (NRTEE-March 2001, Standing Committee on Environment -May 2000 and the Commissioner of The Environment-Office of the Auditor General of Canada -May 1999), have all raised serious concerns about the government's ability to ensure the safety of public health when dealing with the regulation and management of chemical pesticides and toxic substances"

The provincial Forest Service has always shirked their responsibility of protecting the environment and human health by arguing that these pesticides have been registered and approved by the federal government’s pesticide regulatory agency. However, people who are informed regarding the regulatory process recognize that the federal registration process is flawed, and that just because a pesticide is registered it does not mean that it poses no risk to human health and the environment.

Three federal government reports, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (March 2001), the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (May 2000) and the Commissioner of The Environment and Sustainable Development, Office of the Auditor General of Canada (May 1999), have all raised serious concerns about the government's ability to ensure the safety of public health when dealing with the regulation and management of chemical pesticides and toxic substances. Also a Senate Subcommittee on the Boreal Forest, which traveled across Canada and acquired considerable data from industry, government and private sources, in their June 1999 Report, recommended that all herbicide and chemical pesticide use in the boreal forest be phased out as soon as possible.

Mimic and Btk are scheduled for use against the hemlock looper in the Ten Mile Pond, Castors River and Main Brook areas of the Northern Peninsula. Neemix is to be used against the balsam fir and yellow-headed sawflies in the Grand Lake, Millertown- Head of Bay d’Espoir and Gander River areas. The Forestry Department is proposing the aerial spraying of 10,000 hectares with Mimic and 20, 000 hectares with Neemix. Although the Forestry Department in the registration documents has not stated the number of hectares to be sprayed with Btk, it appears that they intend to spray much larger areas with this pesticide.

"There are real, less costly alternatives to poisoning our forest with pesticides. One is allowing natural diseases, predators and parasites to take their course in controlling insect population"

The following information regarding the toxicity and registration of these pesticides is from Provincial Government, Department of Environment, Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods, and the Federal Government, Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency documents.

Mimic is a relatively new chemical pesticide formulation with the active ingredient Tebufenozide that initiates an unsuccessful (lethal) molt of insect larvae. A health Canada document indicates that this pesticide accumulates in the bottom sediments of forest ponds and persists up to 393 days and is shown to have residue carry over into the next season in forest soils, forest litter and conifer needles. This pesticide is toxic to some aquatic invertebrates, which like insects, are food for fish. Required labeling for Mimic pesticide containers must state that it is an eye irritant and must be kept out of reach of children; cartridge respirators must be used during application, and protective clothing should be washed before reuse, and contaminated clothing is not to be taken home for laundering.

Neemix 4.5, is also a chemical pesticide containing the active ingredient, Azadirachtin, which is an extract from the seed of the Neem tree. The manufacturer misleadingly advertises this pesticide formulation as being a naturally occurring botanical insecticide. However, the pesticide formulation is not naturally occurring, as the chemical company mixes the active ingredient with other chemical formulants to create the pesticide application mixture.

Precise and accurate information on the other ingredients and impurities in the Neemix formulation has not been provided to the public by the manufacturer or by the Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency. As with other chemical pesticides there is none or little independent testing of the health and environmental effects of Neemix. Health Canada has given only a temporary registration for Neemix until the manufacturer, the Thermortrilogy Corporation, has carried out additional chemistry, toxicological, and efficiency studies as a condition of this temporary registration.

"the new Forestry Minister, Rick Woodford, using a blatant contradiction of terms, refers to this years spray program as a sound forest protection strategy"

Health Canada indicates that there is a lack of studies and data regarding the impact of Neemix on human and animal health, particularly the absence of chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies. Based on two data packages submitted by the pesticide manufacturer, which Health Canada found deficient, the federal regulatory agency still determined that there were no observed adverse effects levels pertaining to this pesticide. However, the data submitted did indicate low acute toxicity , irritation to eyes and skin and effects on the liver, kidney, heart, adrenal gland, and ovaries of rats. The limited data on this pesticide available to Health Canada officials did indicate that there were immunotoxicity effects and potential adverse effects on the endocrine system, and adverse reproductive effects (spermicidal activity). In a study of Neem concentrate via oral gavage there was 30% decrease in body weight in mice and confirmation that the Neem concentrate can negatively affect the immune system.

Neemix was also determined to be highly volatile and also transports readily through soils. Azadirachtin, the active ingredient of Neemix is very highly toxic to fish such as trout and highly toxic to Daphna magna, an aquatic crustacean species whose health within an ecosystem indicates the over-all ecological health of that ecosystem.

The Forestry Department in a March 9, 2001 news release, stated that the biological insecticide Btk is exempt from the environmental assessment process and will also be used to combat the hemlock looper. They did register their plans to use Btk last year and it should not be exempt from the assessment process this year. Btk is a manufactured live microbial organism and like other pesticide spray formulations contains unknown chemicals, which can also be toxic to people and the environment. Btk, like the other pesticides they are proposing to use this year, will kill not only the targeted insects but also moths, butterflies and other beneficial non-target insects, which are integral to the forest ecosystem..

French Government scientists have called for a ban on Bt after finding that inhaled spores cause lung inflammation, internal bleeding and death in laboratory mice. The team of French scientists, led by Francois Ramisse, isolated a strain of Bt that had destroyed tissue in the wounds of a French soldier in Bosnia. Ramisse pointed out that strains are sprayed on forest insects at concentrations of 100 billion spores per square meter, and therefore might pose a threat to people in the immediate vicinity.

" Mr. Woodward should stop trying to gloss over the... poisoning of people and the environment with rhetoric that he is protecting our valuable forest resource, in an effective and environmentally responsible manner"

As last year, the Forestry Department is proposing to use the natural fir sawfly virus, NeabNpy on an experimental basis. Both Btk and this sawfly virus have the potential to mutate and change into more toxic forms. The manufactured virus spray formulation is not naturally found in the forest environment ecosystem. Unfortunately, again, without their consent, the people of this province and their environment are being used as guinea pigs, the subjects of these risky experiments.

There are real, less costly alternatives to poisoning our forest with pesticides. One is allowing natural diseases, predators and parasites to take their course in controlling insect populations. According to a Forestry Canada entomologist, the last major hemlock looper outbreak in this province collapsed due to a natural fungal disease and cold and wet spring weather conditions. There is already a natural virus at work impacting upon the sawfly populations.. Bird and insect predators also reduce populations of looper and sawfly. Other alternatives include diverting funds from the chemical corporations and costly aerial spraying programs to employing people in the province to use physical traps and other manual insect controls. Displaced loggers and other people could also be employed in a forest management program that supports regeneration of a more insect resilient mixed species forest rather than insect susceptible, monoculture, fiber plantations.

Millions of taxpayers’ dollars have been spent in unnecessary pesticide spray programs and in transforming much of our natural forest ecosystems into forest fiber farms for the pulp and paper industry. It’s time for the provincial government to cut their puppet strings from the paper companies and to start representing the interest of the people of this province and their environment. Mr. Woodward should stop trying to gloss over the pesticide spray poisoning of people and the environment with rhetoric that he is protecting our valuable forest resource, in an effective and environmentally responsible manner. In opposition to the Humber Environment Action Group, this was the same line used two years ago in support of spraying the chemical pesticide Dylox against the sawfly. However, Dylox, is now considered unacceptable by government and the paper companies for forest spraying due to high toxicity and the need for expanded buffer zones

"Dumping thousands of gallons of toxic, poisonous pesticides ... over thousands of hectares of the forest is, according to the Forestry Minister and his advisors, supposed to be protecting the forest"

In this province we seem to be stuck with the same old song and dance routine of an archaic forestry bureaucracy.. Just like his predecessor, Kevin Alyward, the new Forestry Minister, Rick Woodford, using a blatant contradiction of terms, refers to this years spray program as a sound forest protection strategy. This pesticide program is totally opposite to his department’s 20- year Forestry Plan objective of protecting the natural forest ecosystem in its full diversity. This spray program is more about monopolizing the forest and maximizing fiber supply for the mills. It is not about protecting biodiversity and managing the forest for fish, wildlife, the ecology and other values. There is much talk in district forest planning meetings and many words in government forestry plans and documents, about managing the forest for a diversity of values and not just the industrial fiber value. Unfortunately, the talk and words have not been translated into action. Dumping thousands of gallons of toxic, poisonous pesticides from aircraft over thousands of hectares of the forest is, according to the Forestry Minister and his advisors, supposed to be protecting the forest. How gullible do they think we are?

The Humber Environment Action Group Forest Committee has written Ralph Wiseman, the Provincial environment Minister requesting that there be a complete, thorough environmental assessment of all pesticides proposed for use on our forest this year. In the letter to the Minister they also refer to the Mimic Registration Document and indications that forest blocks sprayed with Mimic may also receive a follow up application of Btk. HEAG is requesting that the environmental assessment of the pesticide spray program should also examine the synergetic and accumulative effects of various pesticides on the forest environment and human health.

In accordance with the provincial Environmental Assessment Act, the public has until Aril 13th to submit their comments on the proposed forest pesticide spray program to the Minister

For further information please contact Bob Diamond, phone 709-634-360