Pesticides and Salmon

Great news! The federal government recently took a huge first step to keep harmful pesticides out of Northwest waters and away from threatened and endangered salmon.

It’s been almost 20 years since the first Pacific salmon and steelhead were listed under the Endangered Species Act. Now, action is finally being taken to protect them from the pesticides that pollute their waters.

Late in July, the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides and our allies successfully settled a lawsuit with the National Marine Fisheries Service that called for the agency to complete evaluations assessing the impacts 37 pesticides have on 28 species of wild salmon and steelhead. The final evaluations — known as “biological opinions” — establish needed protections to keep pesticides out of water and away from salmon. The first protections will be announced later this fall.

Use this link to join on-line http://www.pesticide.org/joinNCAP.html

You can learn more by reading the Eugene Register-Guard article, the actual settlement and the draft biological opinion:

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=125639&sid=4&fid=1 (article)

http://www.pesticide.org/CleanWaterSalmon.html (settlement document)

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/pesticide_biological_opinion_draft.pdf
(draft biological opinion — 11 MB file)

To help us sustain this great victory, please email a letter addressed to both the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Urge these agencies to adopt strong measures to protect Pacific salmon from these poisons. It is their responsibility under the Endangered Species Act.
More information and a sample letter are at the end of this e-mail.

Thanks to all of you who support the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. Wild salmon, on the brink of extinction, now have a glimmer of hope.

Sincerely,

Aimee Code
Water Quality Coordinator

Background information for your letter:
Three toxic pesticides used heavily in the United States — chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion — can harm children and farmworkers, poison wildlife, and taint food and drinking water. Despite well-documented hazards, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows homeowners, farmers and others to use these poisons in ways that harm salmon and steelhead.

Please urge NMFS and EPA to adopt strong measures to protect Pacific salmon from these poisons. It is their responsibility under the Endangered Species Act.

Please send an email addressed to both:
Jim Lecky
Director of Office of Protected Resources, NMFS
Jim.lecky@noaa.gov

James Gulliford
Assistant Administrator, US EPA Headquarters
Gulliford.jim@epa.gov

There is no formal comment period, but comments need to be in by Oct. 15 to be considered. Please write in as soon as possible, however, while our victory is fresh!

Please send a copy of your comments to: acode@pesticide.org

You can be sure that chemical companies are working to ensure unabated use of their products continues. Make sure the voice of the public is heard. Harmful pesticides must be kept out of our waters! We all need clean water to survive.


SAMPLE LETTER

Jim Lecky
Director of Office of Protected Resources, NMFS

James Gulliford
Assistant Administrator, US EPA Headquarters

Dear Director Lecky and Assistant Administrator Gulliford,

I am encouraged by the scientific basis of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s recent draft biological opinion evaluating the impacts of three pesticides — chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion — on salmon and steelhead in California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. I applaud NMFS for its thorough analysis and scientifically sound conclusion that these three pesticides are “jeopardizing” salmon survival and recovery.

NMFS and EPA must now implement the strong measures necessary to protect salmon and steelhead from these pesticides. The best science available demonstrates that chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion are simply too dangerous to be used near rivers and streams that serve as habitat for these threatened fish.

Homeowners and farmers alike deserve clarity on how they can manage pests without harming a Northwest icon, the Pacific salmon. Chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion are antiquated pesticides that pose unreasonable risks to both humans and wildlife and should not be used near salmon and steelhead habitat.

I’m pleased to see that NMFS has taken the first step toward getting these chemicals out of our waterways and I urge the agencies to follow through with strong, protective measures.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS