Phill Pullinger Environment Tasmania
ENVIRONMENT groups and experts are heartened by suggestions from Tasmania’s Primary Industries Minister, David Llewelyn, that a ban on certain pesticides due to their impact on human health, may be considered. It follows growing scientific evidence that pesticides such as atrazine and simazine cause significant risks to human health due to their toxicity and long-lasting nature, and a visit to Tasmania by two leading experts, including Tyrone Hayes, Professor of Integrated Biology at the University of California.*

Professor Tyrone Hayes has extensively research the impacts of a number of pesticides on human health and animal health and has deep concerns about their impacts. He has called for a ban on certain chemicals, regulatory reform, and more responsibility from industry, “I would really like to see the industry take more responsibility for the impacts that their chemicals are having on customers and citizens,” he said.

Dr Alison Bleaney has worked as a GP in St Helens for more than 20 years, is spokesperson for the Break O’ Day Catchment Risk Group, and has long held concerns about the human health implications of certain pesticides and aerial spraying, “Endocrine chemicals such as simazine and atrazine should no longer be used in a way that adversely affects human and environmental health. These chemicals are shown to be adversely affecting reproductive and developmental health, and these effects may well be multi-generational. The potential to increase the incidence of prostate and breast cancer has been shown numerous times internationally – these chemicals should be banned as they have been banned in Europe, and in a small island state like Tasmania, we shouldn’t be aerially spraying pesticides,” said Dr Bleaney

“The most fundamental responsibility of government is to look after the health of its citizens, and one of the most fundamental requirements of human health is clean, fresh, uncontaminated drinking water,” said Dr Phill Pullinger, Director of Environment Tasmania, “The spraying of toxic pesticides in drinking water catchments across the state is putting the health of many Tasmanian communities at risk. We warmly welcome Minister Llewelyn’s suggestion that a ban on these chemicals is being considered – and urge the government to take the tough decision of banning these chemicals in the best interests of the health of the Tasmanian community and environment,” he concluded.

* Professor Tyrone Hayes and Matt Landos, Honorary Lecturer & research associate, University of Sydney will speak at the ‘Medical Grand Rounds’ Meeting at the Royal Hobart Hospital at 1pm today, and a forum from 3-5pm.

ABC

Professor Hayes says legislation in places like Tasmania lags behind. (ABC News)

Tasmania’s Primary Industries Minister David Llewellyn may consider banning some pesticides if there is enough evidence of potential harm to humans and animals.

A visiting United States Professor has warned Tasmania faces a real risk from the continued use of pesticides like atrazine and simazine.

The chemicals cannot be sprayed on public land but are still permitted for private use and on forestry plantations.

Tyrone Hayes is a Professor of Integrated Biology at the University of California and specialises in the impact of such pesticides.

He has been brought to Tasmania by groups like the National Toxic Network to brief government agencies and try to raise community awareness.

Professor Hayes says atrazine and simazine are mainly used in forestry in Tasmania, and are dangerous to animals and people because they are long-lasting and active at very low levels.

“They are known endocrine disruptors that lead to reproductive failure, abnormal reproductive development in exposed males,” he said “and in humans they’re both associated with a hormone imbalance that can induce breast cancer and prostate cancer and affect fertility in men.”

Professor Hayes says legislation in places like Tasmania lags behind the science about such chemicals, partly because efforts to tighten regulations always face stiff resistance.

“We find this in the United States as well.”

“Once we have a sort of chemical dependency and and your industry is kind of dependent on it, then it’s really hard to take those things away.

“But opposition of course comes from the agriculture industry and the forestry industry which has come to depend on these chemicals,” he said.

The minister, David Llewellyn, has told Radio National the government is looking at changing the regulations.

“We’ve been very conscious about the need to preserve our clean green image that we trade on that’s why we’re GMO free,” he said.

“Also we don’t use such things as hormone growth promotents in our beef.

“If there is evidence and there is certainly growing evidence about various chemicals, we will take action.”

…

From the Examiner

Chemical use surprises US professor
BY MATT MALONEY
31/03/2009 1:00:00 AM

THE State Government may be forced to rule out the use of atrazine and simezine in aerial spraying as growing evidence suggests dangers to human health.
Although not permitted for use in State forests, triazine chemicals are still allowed to be used for aerial spraying on private forestry plantations.

University of California professor of integrated biology Tyrone Hayes spoke last week to 350 people in Launceston on the long-term effects of the triazine chemicals used in aerial spraying operations in Tasmania.

Internationally renowned for his research on the effects of endrocrine disruptors, Prof. Hayes updated the meeting on his latest research, which focused on the multi-generational effects of triazine chemicals.

He said he was surprised that aerial spraying was permitted on a small island with as many water catchments as Tasmania, and conceded that change in legislation faced stiff opposition from the forestry industry due to its dependence on the chemicals.

“Endrocrine destructors are highly mobile and can cause hormonal imbalances, reproduction deformities, decrease fertility and are known to cause breast and prostate cancer,” Prof. Hayes said.

“I’m surprised over their use in aerial spraying in Tasmania as several of the compounds used here are not even used in the US.

“Atrazine levels here are far higher than anything used back home and simezine can even be found in swimming pools in Australia.

” The European Union has really put environment and human health first and it must be proven that the chemical is safe to use or it’s gone. For Tasmania you have to go to great lengths to prove it is unsafe before it is banned.”

A Department of Primary Industries and Water spokesperson said that the State Government would continue to seek the advice of scientific authorities on aerial spraying regulations in Tasmania.

“We welcomed the opportunity to meet with Prof. Tyrone Hayes and discuss his latest research,” he said.

“We will continue to review and improve the regulations around the use of these chemicals, which includes considering overseas policy and research.

“The Government is currently tightening controls governing aerial and ground spraying in Tasmania.”