S U P P L E M E N T
A Road to Paradise Soaked with Poisons
It turns out that the “stuff” that was sprayed from
the government truck was Outpost 22K, which is
24% picloram, an herbicide whose use is restricted.
According to Dow Chemical, the manufacturer, “it
is known to leach through soils into ground water,
and may result in ground water contamination.”
Photo by Douglas McGowan
Giant trees — many over 250 years-old — are
withering away. Over 100 lodgepole and Ponderosa
pines perished on a single property. New plantings
grow in crooked shapes, or just can’t survive. For a
year after the spray, children suffered from incessant
nosebleeds and nausea. And people continue to
feel sick. Adults still experience metabolic disorders,
memory loss and muscle weakness.
Two and a half years later, these Oregonians are still
suffering. With permeable pumice soils and shallow
groundwater wells, there is constant concern that
picloram will continue to move through the aquifer
B
CONTINUED
Beyond Toxics’ staff traveled to northern Klamath
County in September to document the scope of the
situation and witness the damage first-hand.
That was in 2010. Since then, many La Pine neighbors
reported similar problems. The Oregon Department
of Agriculture started an investigation in November
2011. Despite taking soil, drinking water and foliage
samples a full 16 months after the spray occurred,
picloram was found at unusually high levels on a
number of residential properties. The sandy pumice
soil of Central Oregon is the primary aquifer in the
La Pine area, and most domestic wells are within 50
feet of the surface. This aquifer serves as the sole
source of drinking water for these residents.
THE SITUATION TODAY
F O R
Shamefully, Klamath County remains unresponsive
to the plight of area residents. Last summer the
community reached out to Beyond Toxics for help.
INVESTIGATION REVEALS POISONING
Amazingly, this devastation occurred because
Klamath County government, using public money,
sprayed toxics to kill just one unwelcomed plant:
spotted knapweed. In fact, the investigation
determined Klamath County Public Works and their
pesticide contractor were guilty of violating federal
pesticide laws. Each was fined over $7,000, a trivial
sum given the consequences to the community.
Both are appealing the fine. However, the state’s
investigative report notes, “Impacts from pesticide
contamination to water have long been of particular
concern to natural resource stewards and society in
general…with its implications for potential human
health impacts.”
P A I D
Denare’s surviving dogs continue to lose weight
and shed clumps of fur.
to poison drinking water. Many of the families in
this area are either lower-middle class, retirees, or
veterans struggling with ongoing health issues.
Being forced to buy bottled water is a hardship.
With little money to spare, residents have had to
assume all of the costs of tree and soil removal,
water supplies, and medical care.
Tears well up in Denare’s eyes as she looks at the
yard that was once a lush garden. She thinks about
the dead dog and the chickens, but mostly about
her three-year old grandson. She wonders what
chemical burden his small body might be carrying.
She also worries about her daughter, who is five
months pregnant with a second grandchild and lives
with her. And she worries about her neighbors. “They
confided in me because I’m a nurse. Their symptoms
were eerily similar: the nosebleeds, coughs, colds and
flus that never seemed to go away.”
Dan Harshbarger, a veteran of the Vietnam War,
gave us a tour. Dan told me that many Vietnam vets
experienced the effects of picloram when the U.S.
military sprayed the jungles with Agent White along
with Agent Orange and other forest defoliants.
(Agent White is a 4:1 mixture of 2,4-D and picloram.)
When picloram was found in the soil and well water
on Dan’s property, he called it “chemical trespass”
because the herbicide that was sprayed along the
edge of his property traveled through the sandy
soil directly to the roots of his trees and into his
well. He was forced to cut down dozens of dying,
mature trees and burn them in huge mounds. This
year, he planted a vegetable garden but can’t help
wondering if eating the produce is safe.
He is emphatic when he says, “We must prevent this
kind of recklessness from ever happening again.
Endangering the general public is not acceptable ...
for any reason.”
Jennifer Meinike, a mother of two, told us, “It’s
unsettling enough to see these towering trees
die one by one, but how are these
chemicals affecting the health
of my children? We drank the
contaminated well water for almost
a year before it was tested and found
to have picloram in it. If there were
symptoms of pesticide poisoning so
soon after the spray, what about the
long-term effects?”
OUR FINDINGS
Our own investigation uncovered
that state and federal grant funding
was used to pay for the Klamath
County spray operation under the
Oregon Department of Agriculture’s
noxious weed program. There are
numerous sources of funding for
You Can Do Your Part
Dan Harshbar
of the trees on his pr
2) Please join our campaign for sensible pesticide
reduction laws by becoming a member.
There are three ways to get involved:
s the stories that appear here make plain,
pesticides are a public and environmental
health problem, linked to tragic disease and
environmental damage. That’s why, in 2009, Beyond
Toxics spearheaded the Oregon law to
reduce toxic pesticides at all Oregon
schools.
A
We feel the State of Oregon should do the
same for all public places. If the schools can
do it, so can state agencies.
Our state has a responsibility to reduce
pesticide use to protect our health,
preserve the environment and ensure our
rivers support salmon and provide safe
drinking water.
1) Go to: www.SafePublicPlaces.org to sign our Safe
Public Places Endorsement Form to join the statewide
momentum. We need you on the team!
3) We’re collecting pesticide exposure stor
to present to the Oregon State Legislatur
You can help by calling or writing to us.
Won’t you join us in imagining and working f
a world Beyond Toxics?
Please get involved! We need your membership and
your voice to be an effective advocate for change in
Oregon.
Beyond Toxics
1192 Lawrence St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-465-8860
info@beyondtoxics.or
www.BeyondToxics.or