Watch Out For Killer Compost

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

How Did This Happen?

A close read of the EPA’s paper trail shows that the half-life (the time it is expected to persist) of aminopyralid in soil was never clearly determined. Still, the EPA decided that aminopyralid was “safe for humans and the environment.” The license to sell was granted despite the fact that Dow’s own data showed a half-life of up to 533 days. Despite that, only two studies were done to investigate its persistence in soil. Even though clopyralid was known to persist in compost, specific inquiries were never made into the newer herbicide’s fate in manures. In their 2004 response to Dow’s registration application, three EPA scientists said that both of Dow’s soil dissipation studies were of “questionable validity.”

Regardless, Milestone and Forefront were fast-tracked for EPA approval through the Reduced Risk Pesticide Initiative. The Initiative says that if new pesticides, when compared to those that came before them, are clearly less toxic to people and animals, less scientific data is required to win EPA registration. The environment — and the right of people to grow uncontaminated food — hardly gets a seat at the policy table.

Keeping Your Garden Safe

Thousands of acres of North American pasture and rangeland have been treated with aminopyralid, so gardeners should ask questions before buying manure or compost that contains manure. If the seller doesn’t know if it’s safe, don’t buy it.

You may be able to help prevent hundreds of garden disasters by spreading the word about this problem. If you know of friends or neighbors who might use herbicides to control weeds in their pastures, tell them! Alert your local composting facilities, too, because gardeners work too hard to lose their food to corporate greed and government loopholes.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print