Greens Increase Campaign Pressure
The Tasmanian Greens today released public awareness materials as the next stage of their campaign to ban the use of the triazine group of herbicides in Tasmania, in the lead up to having State Parliament vote to implement a statewide ban on these chemicals.
Greens Shadow Water spokesperson Tim Morris MP and Health spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said that the triazine chemicals have been banned by the European Union over concerns of the risks to human health and the environment, saying that the Tasmanian Community also deserve the same degree of protection.
The Greens also said that today they had just heard that the US Environment Protection Authority plans to conduct a new study about the potential health risks of atrazine. See HERE
“Tasmanians have been subjected for far too many years to agricultural chemicals contaminating our waterways and drinking water supplies, and the Triazine chemicals of atrazine and simazine have been amongst the worst culprits,” Greens Water spokesperson Mr Morris said.
“We are releasing an information sheet and a ‘Ban Triazines’ sticker, so that concerned members of the public can get involved in building the pressure on the government to get triazines banned. The release of these materials follows the launch of an e-petition on the Parliament website.”
“Triazines are being sprayed in Tasmania in unknown quantities in a largely unregulated environment, and have been detected in drinking water in rivers from one end of the state to the other, with atrazine being detected in the River Derwent earlier this year.”
“This is just not good enough. The Greens will bring on for debate later this month our motion to ban the Triazine chemicals in Tasmania, and that debate will give both the Labor and Liberal parties the opportunity to stand up for the health of the community and our environment by voting to ban this group of chemicals.”
“The triazines have been banned in the European Union because of their effects on the environment and a growing scientific awareness that they are harmful to human health,” Greens Health spokesperson Cassy O’Connor said.
“And, hot off the press, we have just found out today that the US Environment Protection Authority plans to conduct a new study about the potential health risks of atrazine, one of the triazine group of chemicals.”
“The US EPA has taken this step on the basis of new studies that suggest atrazine in drinking water is associated with birth defects, low birth weights and reproductive problems among humans, even at concentrations that meet current federal standards.”
“The latest medical research links minuscule doses – that is, parts per trillion – of pesticides to endocrine disruption which results in a range of illnesses such as breast, testicular and prostate cancer as well as impaired fertility, miscarriages, fibroids, reduced testosterone in men and lower sperm counts.”
“Yet the triazines have continued to be allowed to contaminate drinking water in Campbelltown, Hobart, St Helens and Launceston, to name a few. This is simply unacceptable.”
“The risk to human health is serious, and it isn’t being taken seriously by the Bartlett Government.”
“The science is in. The Precautionary Principle must apply. The Bartlett Government has a duty of care to the people of Tasmania to take action, to follow the EU and the US EPA’s lead, and ban the use of triazines in Tasmania in the interests of our health and wellbeing,” Ms O’Connor said.
Mr Morris concluded by saying that banning the use of the Triazine group of chemicals will be a significant first step towards securing waterways free of agricultural chemical contamination, and will also boost the integrity of Tasmania’s clean and green brand.
Tim Morris & Cassy O’Connor MP Greens Water spokesperson and Greens Health spokesperson
