Increase in U.S. Export of Hazardous Pesticides
March 25, 1996
More than 344 million pounds of hazardous pesticides were
exported from U.S. ports between 1992 and 1994, according to
a recently issued report by the Foundation for Advancements
in Science and Education (FASE). The report, based on
analysis of U.S. Customs shipping records, found that exports
of hazardous pesticides increased 26% between 1992 and 1994,
growing from 100 million pounds in 1992 to 126 million pounds
in 1994. These estimates must be viewed as extremely
conservative since 74% of all pesticides exported, nearly 1.1
billion pounds, left the U.S. with product names omitted from
shipping records. The majority of hazardous exports went to
destinations in the developing world.
FASE defines hazardous pesticides as those that are banned,
severely restricted or considered "restricted use" pesticides
in the U.S.; those that are known or suspected of causing
cancer, genetic mutation or reproductive damage; or those
that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
classifies as Class I or "highly toxic."
According to the report, at least 25 million pounds of
pesticides that are banned in the U.S. were exported during
1992-1994, including dinoseb, EDB, mevinphos, silvex, mirex,
captafol and monocrotophos, as well as more than 600,000
pounds of DDT. Approximately 22.3 million pounds of severely
restricted pesticides were exported during this same period,
including carbofuran, chlordane and heptachlor. (In October
1995, EPA canceled all domestic registrations of chlordane
and heptachlor). U.S. EPA defines "severely restricted"
pesticides as products "for which virtually all registered
uses have been prohibited by final government regulatory
action, but for which certain specific registered uses remain
authorized."
The report also documents the export of more than 200 million
pounds of pesticides that, while legal for use in the U.S.,
pose particular dangers in developing countries. FASE points
out that according to reports published in the British
Journal of Industrial Medicine, developing countries account
for 20% of agricultural chemical use but for more than 99% of
all deaths from pesticide poisoning worldwide. Factors
contributing to these greater hazards in Southern countries
include inadequate resources to provide training or
protective gear for workers; inability or unwillingness of
government agencies to enforce restrictions or precautionary
measures considered necessary in developed countries; hotter,
wetter climates, which can affect chemical toxicity and deter
workers from using protective gear even when available;
malnutrition, protein deficiency and/or dehydration among
farmworkers, which can increase toxic effects of pesticides;
and poor sanitation, making it harder for workers to clean
themselves or their clothes of pesticide residues.
In 1994, U.S. companies exported more than three million
pounds of pesticides designated by the U.N. Environment
Programme as "likely to cause problems under conditions of
use in developing countries." These include methamidophos,
methyl parathion and parathion. According to the report,
parathion accounts for 80% of pesticide poisoning cases in
Central America.
Developing countries that received the greatest quantities of
pesticides between 1992 and 1994 included Argentina (14.3
million pounds), Brazil (10.9 million pounds), Colombia (11.0
million pounds), Costa Rica (17.6 million pounds), Guatemala
(11.7 million pounds) and the Philippines (16.1. million
pounds). A total of more than 108.5 million pounds of
hazardous pesticides were shipped to Latin American countries
during this period.
The data used in the FASE report is based on U.S. Customs
shipping records, the most complete source of information on
exports in the public record. However, the great majority of
pesticides exported are not specifically named in these
records and nearly half of all pesticides were exported
anonymously, the result of companies obtaining permission
from the U.S. Treasury Department to mask their names on
shipping documents available to the public. FASE notes that
the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations requires exporters to
identify all products designated by the Department of
Transportation as "hazardous materials," including many
pesticides.
Despite omissions in shipping records, FASE was able to
identify exporters for approximately 60% of the pesticides
exported between 1992 and 1994. The principle companies
responsible for exporting unidentified pesticides in 1994
included Rhone Poulenc (32.1 million pounds), FMC (21.8
million pounds), Zeneca (12.1 million pounds), American
Cyanamid (9.4 million pounds) and Uniroyal (7.0 million
pounds). More than 150 million pounds of unidentified
pesticides were exported in 1994 by anonymous manufacturers.
The report points out that hazardous pesticide exports from
the U.S. have increased since FASE first began investigating
this situation in 1990. FASE calls for the U.S. government to
take steps to end this dangerous trade, including:
--prohibiting export of banned and never-registered
pesticides;
--requiring EPA to keep accurate records of pesticide
production and exports, which must then be made available to
the public;
--requiring Department of Commerce to determine the extent to
which existing laws regarding proper labeling of pesticide
exports is being violated;
--requiring exporters to reveal their names and the names of
the products they ship in public commerce records;
--requiring EPA and other government agencies to enforce
proper labeling, ensure that comprehensible information about
safe use is available, and include information about less-
toxic alternatives with pesticide shipments to developing
countries.
Source: Exporting Risk: Pesticide Exports from U.S. Ports,
1992-1994, FASE Research Report, Spring 1996, Foundation for
Advancements in Science and Education (FASE).
Contact: Carl Smith, FASE, Park Mile Plaza, 4801 Wilshire
Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010; phone (213) 937-9911; fax (213)
937-7440; email cesmth@aol.com.
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