Posted on 12/15/2016 7:23:23 PM PST by Olog-hai
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it’s seeking nearly $5 million in fines against a unit of the Swiss chemical giant Syngenta for the company’s alleged violations of pesticide regulations in Hawaii.
The violations allegedly occurred on Jan. 20 at Syngenta Seeds’ crop research farm on Kauai where workers entered a field recently sprayed with a restricted insecticide. The EPA said 10 workers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Syngenta failed to tell the workers to avoid the fields, and then allowed them to enter the fields without protective gear, the agency said. Further, the EPA said Syngenta failed to provide adequate decontamination supplies at the farm and supply prompt transportation for emergency medical care. …
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Obama busting his own GMO Hucksters... hmm.
Something Fishy here.
If what is reported really happened, the a fine is in order, plus free lifetime medical for the workers.
Let the state do it and the EPA be gone.
Ironically, the pesticide was not a Syngenta product. Lorsban is produced by Dow and was probably being used in developmental benchmarking research.
The claim that the company “failed to tell the workers to avoid the fields, and then allowed them to enter the fields without protective gear” is highly suspect, in my view.
In full disclosure, I work for Syngenta. PPE and safety communication are ubiquitous. When contract workers are used (as it sounds that they were), however, it is often difficult to instill an equal appreciation and adherence to safety policies. Not saying that’s what happened here, just that there is probably far more to the story.
At this point in the discussion, I agree with you.
When is the EPA going to pay for dumping toxic waste into a river that runs thru several western states???
Isn't Syngenta in talks now about buying Monsanto (seed genetics, GMO, and pesticides) ?
Tryinda grab alla green dey can before dey get drained!
I’m sure no trespassing was done and this couldn’t have been a pre-planned ambush that went wrong (or maybe just as intended).
I did not know that EPA would have jurisdiction in a case like this; I would think OSHA would.
Monsanto actually attempted two unsuccessful buyouts of Syngenta in 2015, but Syngenta rejected both offers.
Chem China mad a successful bid for Syngenta in late 2015, and the acquisition is still in progress.
I believe another top-five Ag company (Dow?) has recently announced they are purchasing Monsanto.
Bayer acquired Monsanto.
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