Cotton industry self-regulation fails to protect community & environment from toxic chemicals

Monday, 06 April 1998 10:00

The mediated agreement concerning the application of toxic chemicals in the controversial Gunnedah cotton growing area has failed, according to a review by Total Environment Centre (TEC). The prime cause is the cotton industry's serious bias against a co-operative approach to managing hazardous chemicals. The Audit also found the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) careless in their duty to protect the community and environment from exposure to pesticide pollution in Gunnedah.
"Controversy will explode again in Gunnedah because the mediated agreement has failed to provide the community with a framework for pesticide management in which it can be confident their health and the environment are protected from on-going exposure to pesticides", Jo Immig, Chemicals Campaigner with Total Environment Centre said today.
"The cotton industry bullied the government into mediation to resolve the escalating conflict in Gunnedah, but when given the chance to prove they could act with integrity, they failed. The EPA indulges in avoidance behaviour so it doesn't have to take tough action on pesticides. This leaves the community and environment in an extremely vulnerable situation."
"Industry sought to change the results of mediated spraying guidelines, failed to provide key information requested from it, and, has seriously breached undertakings in regard to essential auditing and performance indicators that allows testing of adherence to self-regulatory guidelines", said Jo Immig, Chemicals Campaigner, Total Environment Centre.
"The EPA have released preliminary results of a rainwater tank sampling program (the final report has been promised for months) in Gunnedah which indicates widespread low-level contamination with cotton chemicals in the Gunnedah district. The study found proof that long-held fears about spray drift occurring over a significant area are correct. In fact, they have found that chemicals travel for at least 3.7km from their point of application", Jo Immig said.
"The rainwater tank results sound serious alarm bells about the widespread contamination of the environment with pesticides, yet the EPA, regulators of pesticides in NSW, have done virtually nothing to address the issue. They don't even appear to be actively trying to amend the outdated Pesticides Act, which is seriously hampering their ability to regulate."
"Minister for the Environment Pam Allan, announced last year that if industry seriously breached the mediated outcomes, the EPA would impose a Section 49 Order under the NSW Pesticides Act to regulate the application of cotton chemicals in Gunnedah".
"Total Environment Centre now calls on the Minister to honour this commitment in light of the Audit's serious findings. Highly polluting industries such as the cotton industry cannot be left to regulate themselves. The community and the environment need to be protected from pesticide pollution - not sacrificed for the sake of profits", Ms Immig concluded.