TOO MANY PESTICIDES
Dams aren’t
the only threat to Pacific coho salmon. A report, Toxic Water, by
the Oregon-based Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to
Pesticides, reveals that pesticide residues in the waters of the
Northwest may have built up to harmful concentrations. Since
Western states have no reporting requirements for users of
pesticides, few records exist of what gets sprayed where and by
whom. In one instance, a federal investigation found that some
150,000 pounds of the agricultural pesticide, 2,4-D, was sprayed
throughout the Pacific Coast coho habitat in 1987. Researchers also
found that state agencies do not effectively keep pesticides out of
surface waters. The coalition, mostly concerned citizens and
conservationists from the Northwest, advocates establishing
pesticide-free zones, thorough reporting of usage within all coho
salmon habitat, and reducing or eliminating pesticide use. The
14-page report, by coalition staffers Norma Grier, Erik Clough and
Anna Clewell, is free from the coalition at Box 1393, Eugene, OR
97440 (503/344-5044).
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Too many pesticides.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
