Join the Call-In to Ban Toxic Methyl Iodide in California

by Sarah Parsons · 2011-06-29 09:34:00 UTC
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Six months ago in an 11th-hour move, the Schwarzenegger administration approved the use of the pesticide methyl iodide in California. The decision outraged environmentalists and public health organizations, but for a long time, not a single California farmer actually used the carcinogenic chemical. In the past few weeks, however, citizens' worst fears were realized.

Two Fresno farms recently started fumigating their fields with methyl iodide. With peak fumigation season for strawberry fields coming soon, you can bet that other agricultural operations will follow the Fresno farmers' lead — unless Governor Jerry Brown takes action.

Over the past several months, environmentalists, public health experts, farm worker justice groups, and sustainable foodies have been lobbying Gov. Brown to reject the approval of methyl iodide in the state. He even recently committed to "take a fresh look" at the Schwarzenegger administration's decision to green light the toxic pesticide. With peak fumigation season looming ominously on the horizon, the time for Gov. Brown to act is now.

If methyl iodide's use seems like no big deal, wait til you hear how toxic the substance is. Methyl iodide is actually used in lab settings to grow cancer cells. It's also been linked to late-term miscarriages, neurological problems, and thyroid disease. Breathing in methyl iodide fumes can induce nausea, slurred speech, and kidney disease, and touching it with one's bare skin can cause burns. Join Froines, a leading toxicologist at UCLA, referred to methyl iodide as "one of the most toxic chemicals on earth." The stuff can also travel from crop fields to groundwater, posing even more potential human health problems.

But if Gov. Brown doesn't take action, this "most toxic chemical" will wind up all over California's crop fields, endangering farm workers, nearby residents, and the environment.

That's where Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA) comes in. The non-profit started a petition on Change.org asking Gov. Brown to revoke the approval of methyl iodide before it makes its way onto any more crop fields. PANNA is also urging California residents to call Gov. Brown and urge him to take action on this issue immediately. Find Gov. Brown's phone number and talking points here, and be sure to sign PANNA's petition on Change.org.

Photo credit: riza via Flickr

Sarah Parsons is Change.org's Sustainable Food Editor. Her work has appeared in Popular Science, OnEarth, Audubon and Plenty.

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