Dr. Susan Kegley Methyl Iodide testimony Cal. State Assembly
Dr. Susan Kegley recieved her Ph.D. in Ph.D., Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Postdoctoral in Organometallic Chemistry, Colorado State University and University of California, Berkeley. This is testimony at the California State Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment. According to the Panna web site,"Methyl Iodide is so reliably carcinogenic that its used to cause cancer in the lab. Even so, Tokyo-based Arysta LifeScience Corporation proposes methyl iodide be used as a soil fumigant for strawberries and other crops in California and the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered methyl iodide on October 5th, 2007, despite a letter from dozens of distinguished chemists saying that it is astonishing that the EPA is considering broadcast releases of one of the more toxic chemicals used in manufacturing into the environment.
Dr. Kegely mentioned that methyl iodide significantly cause damage to pregnant women, children and the elderly and anyone near methyl Iodide and can cause miscarriages, brain damage, thyroid damage and yet undiscovered problems once it is in the environment, "It can't be brought back."
In a letter from Cornell University, Mr. Stephen Johnson said, "As chemists and physicians familiar with the effects of this chemical, we are concerned that pregnant women and the fetus, children, the elderly, farm workers, and other people living near application sites would be at serious risk if methyl iodide is permitted for use in agriculture". Pesticide Action Network has concluded that, "California's decision will impact the health of its workers, frontline communities, air and water - while triggering a review of its uses in states across the nation."
Dr. Neil Schore: testimony Methyl Iodide hearing
They will have to use 3 times as much Methyl Iodide to get the same effect on the crops and Methyl Iodide is considerably more toxic than methyl bromide.
Dr. Neil Schore received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Columbia University in 1973. He is professor and vice-chairman of the Chemistry Department at UC Davis. He believes that, "The preponderance of scientific evidence suggests that methyl iodide has no place in agriculture. The risks to health, both farm workers and communities, are far too great." and "Methyl iodide also causes cancer, thyroid disease, and nervous system poisoning. Methyl iodide is considerably more toxic than methyl bromide and also considerably heavier. It therefore contaminates the ground level air for much longer, rather than dissipating rapidly into the upper atmosphere. Finally, methyl iodide is a very persistent contaminant of both soil and ground water, remaining present in significant amounts for many months." "When mixed with groundwater it becomes methyl alcohol."
Methyl Chloride
Methyl Bromide
Methyl Iodide
Dr. Bob Spear: testimony Methyl Iodide hearing
Testimony Testimony Methyl Iodide hearing - This chemical is very toxic to the environment.
TOXIC STRAWBERRIES - coming to California ?
California strawberry farms could soon become toxic sites, if governor Arnold Schwarzenegger succumbs to industry pressure to bypass scientific review by the states Department of Pesticide Regulation and allows growers to apply methyl iodide, a potent fumigant that kills every living organism in the soil. He is expected to make a decision in the next two weeks.
Methyl iodide was introduced to agriculture as a replacement for another sinister fumigant called methyl bromide, which was phased out of the nations fields (except for allowable exemptions) in 2005 because it was a major contributor to depletion of the ozone layer. Methyl iodide may not harm the atmosphere, but its effects on animals and humans is another matter entirely: Exposure to the chemical has been found to cause thyroid toxicity, neurological damage, and fetal loss in lab animals.
This is what they want to replace...
Methyl Bromide
What Methyl Bromide Means To You [JoAnn Stuke Diethrich]
This is a very important video!!! JoAnn Stuke Diethrich is very clear and concise.
The Phaseout of Methyl Bromide
Methyl bromide (MeBr) is an odorless, colorless gas that has been used as a soil fumigant and structural fumigant to control pests across a wide range of agricultural sectors. Because MeBr depletes the stratospheric ozone layer, the amount of MeBr produced and imported in the U.S. was reduced incrementally until it was phased out in January 1, 2005, pursuant to our obligations under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (Protocol) and the Clean Air Act (CAA). Under the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act, the production and import phaseout for methyl bromide followed this schedule:
1993 to 1998 Freeze at 1991 baseline levels
1999 to 2000 25% reduction from baseline levels
2001 to 2002 50% reduction from baseline levels
2003 to 2004 70% reduction from baseline levels
2005 100% phase out -except for allowable exemptions such as critical use exemptions agreed to by the Montreal Protocol Parties
