Post by: jongosch on November 19, 2014, 08:51:30 PM
GOLD BEACH, OREGON
It began with the whir of a helicopter and a bad smell and the even worse memories that the smell invoked, memories better left on the other side of the world. Within 24 hours of the incident, Keith Wright had a terrible cough, and blood poured from his mouth onto his naked body, staining the shower pink.
Outside, the October day was gray, the sun having slid off to a better place. The winds, swept aloft by the nearby Pacific Ocean, swirled above the stands of fir trees that rise above the small, clean one-story house. Wright’s uncle, Jack Cox, who lives with him, had a ferocious nosebleed. At the same time, 33 other people, scattered up rabbit-hole roads throughout the valley, suffered in different ways: Strange rashes bloomed on their arms and foreheads, and some victims crouched over the toilet for hours, crippled by sudden diarrhea. Others were struck by nausea, headaches and asthma attacks. Wright, struggling with his own symptoms, was unaware of his neighbors’ troubles. All he knew is that up until the yellow-and-white helicopter flew overhead, he’d felt just fine, working on the carburetor of his ’79 Dodge truck in his front yard.
Over the next several weeks, local doctors and nurses were mystified by the ailments that plagued members of this coastal town, a picturesque spot nestled at the mouth of the Rogue River, where it empties into the Pacific Ocean. Many people stayed sick, or got even sicker. A horse went blind. One dog died.
Here's the link to the full article though I think you either need a subscription or have to find it on the newsstand for now:
http://www.hcn.org/issues/46.19/timberland-herbicide-spraying-sickens-a-community (http://www.hcn.org/issues/46.19/timberland-herbicide-spraying-sickens-a-community)
And here's a couple more links about this situation from the Oregonian:
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/10/8_things_you_should_know_about.html (http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/10/8_things_you_should_know_about.html)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/10/oregon_agencies_blew_off_compl.html (http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2014/10/oregon_agencies_blew_off_compl.html)
Thankfully we have stricter forestry herbicide regulations here in Washington, but all these reported health problems stemming from these sprays beg a few questions:
1) When all the herbicide "experts" WDFW invited to their meetings kept telling the public things like, herbicides have “no known mode of action in mammals” and that they were “practically nontoxic," were these "experts" totally, unpardonably ignorant, or totally, unforgivably lying?
2) If these herbicides can have such a serious impact on the health of humans and pets who have merely inhaled them on one occasion, what kind of impacts might they be having on our elk, deer and other wildlife that may be ingesting them repeatedly?
3) By eating their meat could those health impacts be passed up the food chain to us?
4) What are we going to do about it?
Post by: lokidog on November 19, 2014, 09:02:46 PM
Post by: t6 on November 19, 2014, 09:13:36 PM
PS... My guess to #1) Liars I cannot believe that they are actually that stupid however, its obvious they think we are.
Post by: Special T on November 19, 2014, 09:23:22 PM
Post by: idahohuntr on November 20, 2014, 12:14:49 AM
2014 elections really didn't go in a direction that makes me think this is a viable action in the coming 2 years, but if you can rally the Hunt-Wa members to fully support and help elect Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid for 2016 I think it could be a real possibility that we can get more federal regulation and restriction to protect the environment.
Post by: lokidog on November 20, 2014, 09:52:27 AM
Post by: zwickeyman on November 20, 2014, 10:05:32 AM
Post by: idahohuntr on November 20, 2014, 10:11:29 AM
Are you familiar with the term "sarcasm"? :hello:
Post by: Curly on November 20, 2014, 10:27:40 AM
Couldn't the OR fish and wildlife department (or whatever they are called) put pressure on the EPA to change the laws for herbicide use?
Just like it seems that WDFW could put pressure on someone to do some studies and change some laws in this state or Federally if necessary. I don't understand in this day and age how chemicals that are seemingly harmful is not a bigger issue.... :dunno:
Post by: KFhunter on November 20, 2014, 10:27:50 AM
Post by: JimmyHoffa on November 20, 2014, 10:32:58 AM
Post by: npaull on November 20, 2014, 10:51:24 AM
I'm OK with smart clear-cutting (away from rivers etc) but the herbicide stuff is terrible, and clearly can't be good for deer. The only GOOD thing about clear cuts is that they help wildlife, but if they are going to use herbicides on all the clearcuts and prevent the variety of vegetation from growing which actually supports the wildlife, then we should just stop clearcutting alltogether!
I say allow carefully managed clear-cuts, but DON'T herbicide the clearings.
Post by: KFhunter on November 20, 2014, 01:38:34 PM
Man I hate this stuff.
I'm OK with smart clear-cutting (away from rivers etc) but the herbicide stuff is terrible, and clearly can't be good for deer. The only GOOD thing about clear cuts is that they help wildlife, but if they are going to use herbicides on all the clearcuts and prevent the variety of vegetation from growing which actually supports the wildlife, then we should just stop clearcutting alltogether!
I say allow carefully managed clear-cuts, but DON'T herbicide the clearings.
Burn baby Burn!
Post by: idahohuntr on November 20, 2014, 01:59:31 PM
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/e2-wire/223398-senate-gop-steeling-for-battle-against-the-epa (http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/e2-wire/223398-senate-gop-steeling-for-battle-against-the-epa)
Senate Republicans are gearing up for a war against the Obama administration’s environmental rules, identifying them as a top target when they take control in January.
The GOP sees the midterm elections as a mandate to roll back rules from the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies, with Republicans citing regulatory costs they say cripple the economy and skepticism about the cause of climate change.
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) identified his top priority come January as “to try to do whatever I can to get the EPA reined in.”
Post by: jongosch on November 20, 2014, 02:46:08 PM
This is an EPA issue, not a state game department issue.
Actually it's not necessary to wait on the EPA to ban or curtail use of these chemicals. At a special Forest Practices Board meeting in Olympia this summer it was made clear by Robin Schoen-Nessa, a Dept. of Ag. employee in charge of pesticide registration, that she and her department have full authority to discontinue the use of any pesticide regardless of what the EPA decides. I'm a big proponent of state rights and perhaps it's time that Washington and Oregon lead the way in getting these deadly pesticides banned for good.
Also, this certainly is a state game department issue. WDFW is charged with protecting our wildlife resources and as far as our elk in SW Washington are concerned, they've done a very crummy job. In fact, WDFW has expended a great deal of time and energy trying to dispel citizens' belief that herbicides are involved with hoof disease, including relying on herbicide "experts" with connections to big timber and the chemical companies. Now that it's being shown that these herbicides do in fact endanger mammals such as human beings, dogs and horses, I believe WDFW should be required to reopen the case and conduct some thorough studies on the potential connection between herbicides and hoof disease. The longer they delay the worse it looks.
And I agree with you KFhunter, we should go back to burning. Forest fires are natural and if executed properly I think they can actually benefit the environment. Heck, many of the native tribes used to purposely set forest fires to clear land for big game, huckleberries, etc. Perhaps we just need sizeable buffers between the fires and population centers to alleviate air quality concerns.
What's very clear is that things need to change, and personally I'm not sitting around waiting for the Republicans or the Democrats to lead the charge. In my mind the two parties are equally inept, each of them serving corporations and special interests at the expense of people like those sickened down in Oregon. Meaningful change will come from the citizens - because we demand it.
For a start here's contact info for Robin Schoen-Nessa, Dept of Ag. Tell her you're pissed off.
(360) 902-1963 / rschoen-nessa@agr.wa.gov
Post by: Curly on November 20, 2014, 02:50:38 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on November 20, 2014, 03:00:32 PM
Post by: huntrights on November 21, 2014, 09:45:04 AM
:twocents:
This is another example of why people need to become more engaged in our political processes. They must become voters educated with facts, not propaganda from sound-bites purchased by billionaires (i.e. I-594). People need to register to VOTE and actually VOTE. They must VOTE only for people that will support and defend the Constitution and Bill of Rights, VOTE for people that actually represent their constituency, NOT VOTE for "Political Hacks". They must actively write and call their representatives and agency officials regarding issues like the one in this thread.
Many in the hunting community tend to be laid back and just want to be left alone to hunt, fish, and enjoy life. We all want that, but we can't sit back as apathetic observers thinking others will protect and preserve our rights, freedoms, and health for us. It's up to each of us as individuals to have our voices heard.
Wake up. Get engaged in our political processes. Encourage your family, friends, and colleagues to do the same. Apathy is a freedom killer.
Post by: T Pearce on November 21, 2014, 10:44:40 AM
Do we really know that someone became ill?
Post by: JimmyHoffa on November 21, 2014, 10:55:09 AM
Do we actually know what was sprayed?To a degree. The company that sprayed hid records, falsified records of chemicals and concentrations/mixtures (some were prohibited), then under investigation found that what the company said and what the scientists found didn't match up--so the company began to divulge what they were doing.
Do we really know that someone became ill?
Yes, people and animals did get sick. Doctors found the chemicals in the labs and had an abnormal amount of people and animals show up with unexplained sickness.
In this case, the company was hired to spray properties on two sides of the development. They mixed up a little something extra and instead of shutting off the sprayer in between, they just flew the helicopter over the houses to get to the next patch of timber--figuring they would save fuel by flying longer straight lines with half as many turns than flying the timber patches separately.
Post by: T Pearce on November 21, 2014, 11:07:32 AM
But I dont know.
Just looks wrong because of the allegations (cover up) and liabillity is huge.
Post by: T Pearce on November 21, 2014, 11:17:26 AM
Hope they have it.
Post by: t6 on November 24, 2014, 09:32:44 PM
Once licensed, there is no oversight, field checks, or testing done to ensure proper application. This came from officials from DNR and WDFW at the Kelso Hoof Root Meeting.
Post by: Bango skank on November 24, 2014, 09:40:42 PM
2014 elections really didn't go in a direction that makes me think this is a viable action in the coming 2 years, but if you can rally the Hunt-Wa members to fully support and help elect Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid for 2016 I think it could be a real possibility that we can get more federal regulation and restriction to protect the environment.
:puke: