Action - malathion comments due Monday, July 10

[Guest guest]

Hi, Folks --

Let's take a minute ...

It was July 12, 1997 that we lost Kendall to Malathion poisoning. She

developed leukemia as a result of being sprayed in Southern California

while riding in an open convertible.

In honor of 's memory, if not for ourselves, let's send this sample

letter, below, if not one of your own.

See Kendall's works at

http://users.lanminds.com/~wilworks/ehnhompg/kendall.htm

-- barb

+++++

From Connie Eash:

NCAMP and Beyond Pesticides has issued the following sample letter to be

used as a form to send comments to the EPA in reference to the

Preliminary Risk assessment of malathion. Please take a moment to send

either this or your own version

opp-docket@...

and BCC: info@...

Important: Please put Control Number OPP-34223 in the subject line.

More information on malathion and other actions you can take is on the

NCAMP website:

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/

With enough email from us the concerned citizens, it IS possible that

the EPA will act to benefit our health and remove malathion from the

market. Our input did make a difference with chlorpyrifos, but we must

continue our efforts.

Thanks for your action at such short notice,

Connie Eash

- SAMPLE LETTER -

Public Information and Records Integrity Branch

Information Resources and Services Division (7502C)

Office of Pesticide Programs/ EPA

401 M Street, SW

Washington, DC 20460

Re: Public Comments in Response to Reregistration Eligibility Decision,

Preliminary Risk Assessment, Malathion; Control Number OPP-34223

Dear Sir or Madam:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the preliminary

risk assessment of the Regregistration Eligibility Decision (RED)

Document for the organophosphate malathion. A RED for malathion should

be issued only if data on malathion and its contaminants, metabolites

and the inert ingredients in its formulations are complete and support

reregistration under the standards of authorizing legislation and

corresponding regulations.

The identified data gaps and the excessive risks of exposure

to malathion preclude EPA from abandoning the tenfold margin of safety

required by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). Because malathion is

so widely used, it represents one of the most significant sources of

organophosphate exposure in non-occupational settings. Since all

organophosphate pesticides act on the body in similar ways and their

effects are additive, it raises questions about multiple exposure to

these chemicals through many uses in and around homes and food

production.

Malathion attacks the central nervous system and is associated

with adverse health effects including respiratory problems, headaches,

nausea,

dizziness, and behavioral disorders. Malathion has been shown in animal

testing and from use experience to affect not only the central nervous

system, but also the immune system, adrenal glands, liver and blood.

Malathion has shown to be mutagenic in humans and animals. It has also

been associated with birth defects in domestic and laboratory animals.

Despite the fact that malathion is one of the less acutely toxic

synthetic pesticides, having a LD50 of 1522 mg/kg, numerous human

poisonings have been reported. A memo written by a Health Statistician

with the Health Effects Division in the Office of Prevention,

Pesticides, and Toxic Substances, EPA, stated that 5,222 unintentional

residential exposures were reported to Poison Control Centers from

1993-1996. A November 1999 report issued by the Center for Disease

Control (CDC) stated that over 230 people had reported being sick after

malathion was sprayed aerially during the previous Mediterranean fruit

fly Eradication Program.

Malathion should be listed as a carcinogen. Over the past twenty

years, malathion has been associated with many cover-ups and controversy

over its carcinogenic potential. Just over the past several months, EPA

reversed the cancer findings of independent scientists and adopted the

conclusions of an industry panel, the Pathology Working Group (PWG),

even though an EPA toxicologist, in a memo to the Chairman of the Cancer

Assessment Review Committee, concluded, “nder EPA’s guidelines in

evaluating the tumorigenic response, the PWG report should be

discounted, and the original diagnoses retained.”

The EPA should take immediate steps to file a final determination

and notice of intent to cancel and deny application for reregistration

of

pesticide products containing malathion. It is unacceptable to phase-out

malathion and allow it’s use to continue while existing stocks exist.

Exposure to malathion is an imminent hazard, given its widespread use in

and around homes, schools and our communities. My child will get sick

when exposed to this chemical. I do not want a repeat of what happened

with chlorpyrifos.

Sincerely,