Californians for Pesticide Reform 
June 2013 
Demand Safe Strawberry Fields Today!
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It's time for fumigant-free farming

 

More than a year after cancer-causing methyl iodide was taken off the market, another health-harming fumigant pesticide - chloropicrin - is still widely used in strawberry fields across California.

 

Like all fumigants, chloropicrin can easily drift from fields and onto neighboring communities where kids live, learn and play. We can do better.

 

Phase out fumigants� It's time to protect California communities from health-harming fumigants and transition to safe alternatives.
  

 

Chloropicrin is linked to cancer and other serious health problems like severe respiratory and eye irritation. Because soil fumigants are applied as gasses at rates of up to 400 pounds per acre, this class of pesticides is nearly impossible to control. Even under the best of circumstances, they drift onto neighboring homes and schools.

 

Chloropicrin drift has already caused many poisoning incidents in California. Records show that more than 700 people have been affected in the past 10 years - but since many poisonings go unreported, this number is likely the tip of the iceberg.

 

Protect our communities� State officials must protect communities from health-harming chloropicrin right now, and support farmers as they transition to safe, effective fumigant alternatives by 2020. Sign the petition now on CPR coalition member Pesticide Action Network's website!

 

Thank you for your commitment to safe, prosperous strawberry fields!