Group Blames Increased Illness on Pollution, Pesticides

Persistent water and air pollution and dependence on pesticides are raising rates of cancer, asthma and other health problems in California, especially among children, poor city dwellers and agricultural workers, an environmental health advocates group reported Wednesday.

The Environmental Health Policy Alliance--formed last year to brief Gov. Gray Davis’ transition team on environmental health issues--said that although leading indicators have remained stable over the past year, aggressive steps need to be taken to reverse diseases the group attributed to environmental pollutants.

Among the warning signs the alliance found:

* Childhood cancer rates statewide are 10% higher than they were 20 years ago. Los Angeles and San Francisco have breast cancer rates among the highest in the world.

* Birth defects and premature births are on the rise, with diseases of the reproductive organs up substantially.

* About 600,000 California children have asthma, a 160% increase since 1980. Children die from asthma 67% more often than 13 years ago.

* Lead poisoning continues to imperil 130,000 of the state’s children, despite hopes that the threat would be eliminated by now.

* At least 1,500 farm workers died from pesticide poisoning in 1996. About 215 million pounds of pesticides were used in 1998, up from 161 million pounds in 1991.

“It’s just common sense that if we’re increasing use, we’re probably increasing exposure,” said Joanie Clayburgh, campaign director for Californians for Pesticide Reform, one of the organizations in the alliance.

Clayburgh called on the governor to set a schedule for reducing and phasing out pesticide use and promoting safe alternatives. “We’re addicted [to pesticides], and to get off the addiction we need to find out how to live without them,” she said.

But drawing conclusions from an overall increase in pesticide use can be deceptive, said Glenn Brank, spokesman for the Western Crop Protection Assn., which represents farmers. Most of the increase came from sulfur, a naturally occurring fungicide used by conventional as well as organic growers, Brank said. At the same time, he said, sulfur use caused most of the increase in the number of injuries. Sulfur’s effects range from irritated skin to severe burns.

“We are working very hard to find alternatives to the most toxic pesticides,” Brank said.

The alliance applauded recent legislation to fine polluters through the Clean Water Enforcement Act. But the group complained that Davis has hampered efforts to clean up pollutants and fight cancer by vetoing the Healthy Schools Act of 1999 and $2.7 million in funding for a breast cancer registry.

The alliance includes representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, Californians for Pesticide Reform, Clean Water Action, the American Lung Assn., Children’s Environmental Health Network and the Breast Cancer Fund. Each group highlighted its concerns in the report.

The American Lung Assn. urged enforcement of California’s Zero Emission Vehicle requirement. “California must stay the course of this important program and considerably strengthen the program,” said Bonnie Holmes-Gen, the association’s associate vice president.

Debbie Shrem of the Children’s Environmental Health Network said that lead poisoning remains a chronic problem, including at 38% of schools. She said toxic exposure is linked to learning and behavioral problems. “The very place that’s trying to teach kids is also the place contributing to lowering their IQ, thereby limiting their choices for the future,” she said.