AGROCHEMICALS :"Good practices do not exist"

From Calchaquí, Santa Fe, Oscar Brasca represents Autoconvocados de La Criolla, talking to " La 95" about agrochemicals:

"About the use and application of agrochemicals , there is a provincial law that has a limit of 500 meters for spiders and 3000 meters for the aircraft.

In La Criolla we have the new ordinance, No. 584/2009, which is prohibiting aerial and ground application 1500 metres from the urban area. It is clear that in urban areas any chemicals can be used to combat weeds”.

What about “spiders machines” or “mosquitoes planes”entering in the localities, can they enter or do they have a perimeter?

"No, it is not permitted, they have to go outside the urban area, including the planes can not pass on the airspace above a population and less taking a burden of agrochemicals”.

In Santa Fe they talked about the subject last few weeks especially about "the banderilleros boys" as they are called there. (boys with flags who do signs to the fumigator plane)

"Well, a note about banderilleros boys was drawn up by us " Autoconvocados de La Criolla” and Dr. Graciela Gomez, although there are people in La Criolla we contacted about that issue, it is leaving the practice of using human banderillero”.

Are there people with symptoms of disease in the area? Wich are the symptoms?

“I want to emphasize that in the El Litoral newspaper there is a 40 pages article about pesticides where they talk about "Good practices ".. reading it I found that the good practices they are talking about ... DO NOT EXIST ... what that article express is that every person who works with those pesticides must have a medical control, and they do not do that. Diseases are mistaken for colds or allergies and there are very few laboratories that can detect pesticide poisoning in the area”.

Is there any pesticide that can be used or there is none?

"They're all poisons.We can not say one is better than the other one because they are all poisons. Our farming had a deficit of 30% by pests 50 years ago, and now with all that we are using , we have the same 30% loss by pest too. What is the difference?. Many people remark we have transgenic products that use less poison, we agree, but if it is a remedy we would not be pulling 200 million liters of glyphosate and endosulfan in the country. We are totaly contaminating our environment”.

What is the recommendation for people who are related to this topic, who works with these types of elements?

"According to the article and those that manufacture these products, you must be very carefull. Use the right elements: suitable clothing, masks, boots, gloves. (EPP Team) According to the toxicity you must wear spectacles, overalls and bucconasal masks . Do not eat, drink or smoke while handling it and when the task is completed, wash your hands or have a shower. Clothes that you worn must not be carry at home like cammon work clothes. Separate the clothes .- "It does not do nothing "people say, but the residue on clothing in a washing machine can contaminate the kids or the lady who is handling it ...”

It is a high element of danger in terms of poison ...

“Of course”.

Oscar , thank you for these little minutes in the radio, and probably we will continue talking a lot about this issue because it is the interest in the province and is read by a lot of people in internet. Thanks for your visit. We wanted to talk to you because it exists a possibility that in our city, Calchaquí, the pesticides are used as herbicide in canals and ditches, specially in rainy season.

“Thank you, very much. We have doctors and environmentalists lawyers who can help. You can contact me on the radio”.

Thanks Oscar Brasca...talking to “Viva la Radio” about agrochemicals.

Fuente: Ecos de Romang
Gracias Alicia Vega -Bahia Noticias por la traducción!!!!