A report commissioned by the Northwest Coalition for
Alternatives to Pesticides found major groundwater contamination in
five Northwest states. Neva Hasanein, the author of Uncovering the
Legacy of Pesticide Use: What We Know About Ground Water
Contamination in the Northwest, gathered information from
researchers and government agencies in Washington, Oregon, Idaho,
Montana and northern California. “Groundwater is contaminated with
pesticides in 51 of the 200 counties in Northwest states,” she
says. The report maps counties where pesticides were detected in
ground water and includes a table summarizing the levels on
contamination. It concludes with suggestions on how communities can
curb pesticide use. The appendices provide definitions of some 40
common pesticides and other sources of information. The 35-page
report is available for $6 from NCAP, P.O. Box 1393, Eugene, OR
97440 (503/344-5044).
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Pesticides linger in Northwest.
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