Page 14 RAIN November 1981 stress than what has evolved naturally over millenia: Studies of modern agriculture conclusively demonstrate that monocultures cause erosion problems, deplete soil nutrients and encourage weed proliferation, all leading to greater dependencies on artificial supports. Our forests (and farms) are among the most productive in the world, but at a substantial cost. Millions of tons of top soil are lost to erosion each year through clearcutting (expo_sing the soil to wind and water), roadbuilding and landslides . Fires, both natural and intentional, volatilize over 90 percent of the nitrogen in the soil. Rapid forest rotation, accomplished through brush-killing herbicides, eliminates the soil's natural recovery cycle. Foresters have become caught up in control rather than prevention, literally "losing sight of the forest for the trees." "It started right here when the county sprayer was spraying this roadside with a hose, right where my kids were fishing. Nobody paid any attention to the spraying. We thought it might be for mosquitoes, . .. nobody even knew what it was used for. The sprayer insisted it was safe and only killed plants, but there were our kids, already sick to their stomachs and eyes burning . ... We wanted to believe him. Nobody wants to believe their kids have been poisoned. But when they were really sick that night and when we came down to the river the next day and everything was dead ... everything. The songbirds in their nests, and the fish floating belly up, the ducklings washed up against the shore, the crayfish, everything. I mean it was appalling. We called them up,'cause we thought they made some horrible mistake and put the wrong thing in that truck and they said: 'Oh no. Oh no, it's just a coincidence. It couldn't be the spray. It only kills plants'." -Carol Van Strum Founding Member of CATS (Citizens Against Toxic Sprays)-OR Each year more than 40 million pounds of phenoxy herbicides are used to kill unwanted vegetation on roadsides and along power lines, on rangelands and farms, in forests and on school yards across the United States. Some of the phenoxy herbicides that have been used in forestry include 2,4,5-T, 2,4-D, Silvex, Roundup, Krenite, Picloram, Atrazine and Amitol. Different formulations are more effective on particular "target" species, but most grasses, conifers and certain legumes are fairly resistant. Application methods for herbicides vary according to topography and target species. In the South most spray is applied on the ground, while aerial spraying is more common in the hillier regions of the West. Drift from aerial spraying has been noted as a problem; coastal air currents can cany the spray over 22 miles. The University of Washington has been studying extensive damage to grape crops (gnwes are particularly sensitive) over 80 miles from the spray site. Phenoxy herbicides function by attacking the hormones which regulate cell growth, causing the plant to grow abnormally and then die. Aside from its own toxicity, many of the phenoxys contain contaminants, unavoidable byproducts of their manufacture, that are among the most deadly chemicals known to humankind. TCDD, or dioxin, is capable of producing lethal and sublethal chronic effects (such as kidney abno1malities, cleft palates, clubfeet and congenital hip deformities) in dosages measured in parts per trillion. Recent research at Australia's Monash University in Clayton, Victoria, reported in the Los Angeles Times, has shown that sensitivity to herbicides' toxic effects varies. Overall, their study concludes that humans appear to be three times more sensitive to dioxins than baby chickens or rats. A representative of Dow Chemical, manufacturer of 2,4,5-T, has acknowledged that the company was aware of the presence of dioxins in 2,4,5-T as early as 1964, but argues that if used properly the risks are so "infinitesimal" that it is not a practical consideration. Because dioxin is toxic at such low levels, has no antidote, and appears to accumulate in body fat, opponents-including well-respected scientists-feel that no safe level has been determined. Several studies, including one in which Dow participated, concluded that dioxins have now entered our food chain. At the present time, 2,4,5-T and Silvex are undergoing cancellation hearings in Washington, D.C. Midway through the trial, Dow and the EPA have requested a recess to negotiate a compromise. The chance of 2,4,5-T and Silvex becoming available for commercial use once again is strong, due to current administration attitudes. Meanwhile, new research on 2,4-D (the most heavily used herbicide on farms and forests) points to the dangers of this formulation as well. A report by the South Okanagan (Canada) Environmental Coalition, The Other Face of 2,4-D: A Citizen's Report, (Se·e RAIN IV :10: 16), the first major review of scientific literature written for laypeople, indicates that: •The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Canadian Food Laura Stuchinsky and Drug Directorate and the Dow Chemical Company all produced test results on 2,4-D showing that 2,4-D, its various formulations and one breakdown product produce birth defects (teratogenic effects) in mice, rats and hamsters. The authors assert that mice are good indicators of teratogenic potential in humans. •It has been discovered that 2,4-D can contain the potent HCDD, TCDD and other higher isomer dioxins (whose effects are largely unknown). •Insect pests have been shown to increase in 2,4-D treated crops and some plant diseases may become more prevalent. "In general, 2,4-D reduces the overall health of the environment to which it is applied." A mixture of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D made up the controversial Agent
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