The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association sent me a letter (
"Legislative Alert") trying to enlist my support in an effort to lobby
congress to extend the use of Methyl Bromide in agriculture until the year
2015. However, I happen to be opposed to this and feel others who might
oppose this ought to be alerted to this attempt to extend Methyl Bromide's
use beyond the current deadline of 2005. Here, for your information, is my
response. Those from other states need to respond to their own
congressional delegations.
Best wishes,
Hugh Lovel
6-15-00
Senator Max Cleland Senator Paul D. Coverdell
461 Senate Dirksen Building 200 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510-1004
Jack Kingston Sandford Bishop
1034 Longworth House Office 1433 Longworth House Office
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Mac Collins Cynthia McKinney
1131 Longworth House Office 124 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
John Lewis John Isakson
343 Cannon House Office 2428 Raburn House Office
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Bob Barr Saxby Chambliss
1207 Longworth House Office 1019 Longworth House Office
Washington, DC 20515-4611 Washington, DC 20515
Nathan Deal Charlie Norwood
2437 Raburn House Office 1707 Longworth House Office
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
John Linder Vice President Al Gore/White House
2447 raburn House Office 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20515-1011 Washington, DC 20500
Hugh Lovel, Director,
Union Agricultural Institute
8475 Dockery Road
Blairsville, Georgia 30512
Ph: 706 745 6056,
Fx: 706 745 4499
e-mail: uai@alltel.
June 15, 2000
Dear Georgia Senators, Congresspeople and Vice President Gore,
Attached is a "Legislative Alert" I received from the Georgia Fruit
and Vegetable Growers Association advocating extending the use of Methyl
Bromide in agriculture. I am both a vegetable and fruit grower AND an
agricultural researcher and though I will refrain from using expletives, I
must protest the use of methyl bromide as deplorable, irresponsible and
horrendous. Methyl bromide is a soil sterilant whose use merely exacerbates
the problems facing agriculture and postpones the day when responsible
solutions to agricultural challenges will be put to use.
While the industries which produce methyl bromide and the growers
who use it will understandably experience some transitional difficulties,
the 2005 deadline for its phaseout is generous and adequate if these folks
have a clear signal they must look for alternatives. Please give everyone
that signal. Methyl Bromide is one of the most dangerous and destructive
chemicals in use in agriculture today. Its use should have ceased long
before this, and 2005 can hardly come soon enough to staunch the
environmental and agricultural degredation this chemical causes. Please
listen to someone who has long researched this problem and who has
alternatives to offer farmers when they wake up and listen.
Sincerely,
Hugh M. S. Lovel, Director
Union Agricultural Institute
Blairsville, Georgia 30512
Attachments:
1. Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association "Legislative Alert"
2. The Soil Food Web, ACRES, U.S.A., April 2000, Volume 30, Number 4
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