PREPARED STATEMENT OF THOMAS R. HILL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TRI-COUNTY MIGRANT HEAD START, FRESNO, CA Tons of Pesticides Reported Used California, 1987 Rankings In Numbers Among All Counties Causes Of Field Residue Poisoning Cases Chart Of Selected Acute & Delayed Health Effects Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has provided education, social, medical, dental, nutrition and mental health services for over eleven million children and their families across the nation. Specifically, Head Start's efforts are designed and directed at breaking the "cycle of poverty" through family oriented, comprehensive, and community based programs, which focus upon "developmental goals" of children; employment and self-sufficiency goals for adults and support for parents in their work and child rearing roles. Further more, Head Start is based upon the premise that "all children" share certain needs and that children of "low-income families" in particular, can benefit from a "comprehensive developmental program" to meet those needs. In Fresno and Monterey Counties, Tri-County Migrant Head Start provides educational and support services specifically to "migrant children and families" at nine 99) different Head Start centers located in the rural areas; seven (7) of which are located in Fresno County and two (2) in Monterey County, and are as follows: Currently, approximately five-hundred "migrant" families are receiving Head Start educational and support services. However, as of this writing efforts are underway to expand the "scope of services" currently offered, from five-hundred to "onethousand migrant families" participating in Head Start. A recent Needs Assessment Survey conducted by Tri-County Migrant Head Start (1989) of 217 migrant farmworker households, indicated that average family unit size was 5.39 and yearly income was approximately $9,267 per family unit, well below standard poverty levels for a family averaging 5.39 members per unit. As "rural migrants", employment typically consists of agricultural manual types of labor usually "seasonal" in nature. Suffice it to say agriculture, is the San Joaquin Valleys number one source of income and as "historically has been the case", Hispanics usually comprise "all" or a "significant percentage of the workforce", required to harvest the agricultural crops. II. Statement of Problem According to research, approximately "375,000 tons of pesticide" are spread on America's farmland every year, however, less than one-tenth of one percent actually reaches a pest. The other 99.9 percent is contaminating our soil, our water, our food supply as well as "imperiling the health and safety" of "farmworkers and the general public". It is estimated that chronic poisoning accounts for an estimated 20,000 cancer cases annually from pesticide residues on food alone. Environmental damage is severe and long-lasting, affecting both plants and wildlife and the integrity of our soil which may prove to be irreversible. The USDA estimates that fifty million Americans drink from water sources that may be contaminated by "toxic agricultural chemicals". Each year in the U.S. approximately 550,000 tons of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides are used. Approximately, 70% of that is used in "agriculture". Result 62% of the crops land in the country is treated. Research indicates that "less than a thousandth" (.1%) of pesticides applied "actually reaches a pest". Of the 750 million pounds of pesticides applied annually to crops the greatest portion is free to move into our water and food supplies, funding its way to our tissues, liver and nervous systems. As a result of "high chemical agriculture", the following outcomes have occurred: Acute poisoning incidents causing 200 deaths and roughly 3000 people hospitalized annually; - As many as 20,000 cancer cases a year from chronic exposure to residues in food for the entire national population; - Shortened life expectancies for farmworkers due to occupational toxic exposure; - Sterility, birth defects, and other unquantified health problems resulting form chronic exposures to chemicals on the farm and in residual amounts in food and drinking water; and - A threat of contamination of the water supplies; The side effects of pesticides happen quickly; farmworkers ingest, absorb, or inhale "massive amounts" in accidents and because many poisonings are "not reported" to health authorities, by both farmers and farmworkers, and because "pesticide poisoning is easily misdiagnosed, "the incidence of pesticide poisoning is not know for sure. Estimates range form 45,000 to 300,000 people poisoned each year. However, one thing for certain is that one of the most important consequences of all of this "chronic exposure to agricultural chemical", is a large number of cancer cases. As of October 1989, the EPA considered 53 active ingredients in pesticides used on foods to be "tumor producing". However, the EPA has sufficient testing data on only 289 out of the 700 "actual ingredients" currently used in pesticides, but if further tests are conducted many of these "untested ingredients" will be likely to be found harmful as well. B. California None of the 717 pesticides now used in California meets current safety testing requirements on birth defects, cancer, sterility and other diseases according to State reports. Furthermore, pesticide companies have failed to submit 97% of the critical health and safety studies necessary to evaluate such pesticide hazards only 12 of the 717 pesticides (1.7%) meet current testing requirements for birth defects. C. Annual Pesticide Illness According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, these were 2,118 reported cases of illness in 1988 with a possible relationship to pesticide use. of these case, 874 involved use of "agricultural pesticides", and the remainder nonagricultural uses. The number of illnesses among "field workers" due to agricultural pesticide usage, has averaged 345 over a six year period from 1982 thorough 1987. In 1988, a total of 3,144 reports were received, of which 2,118 were "classified" related to "pesticide expose". D. Typologies of Acute Pesticide Illness Typologies of Acute Pesticide Illnesses include the following, Occupational primarily dermal contact a. Concentrated materials; mixer, loaders, applicators, manufacturing workers. Farmworkers/harvest crew "exposure to pesticides" is usually "short-term" at "very high-levels" of exposure. Whereas, rural residents not occupationally exposed suffer "long-term/low-level exposure". (California Occupational Health Program Data, March, 1990). E. Workforce Profile According to a "profile of California farmworkers", Hispanics comprise approximately 88% of the workforce with 39% being of "migrant status". Average number of "weeks worked per year" for males was 25 weeks, 16 weeks for "females" and "8 weeks" for "children" (14-17). However, as frequently is the case, many migrant families typically take the "entire family" to work in the fields. And it is not "unordinary" to see a woman in her fourth to fifty month of pregnancy working in the field. Children typically accompany the parents to the fields, "due to the lack of child care services" available to them. A recent survey by Tri-County of 217 individual migrant families indicate that if child care services were available to them, that both parents would continue working. In California, the highest level of agricultural pesticides usage, has occurred in Fresno, Monterey, and San Joaquin Counties, two counties which fall under TriCounty Head Starts jurisdiction i.e., Fresno/Monterey counties. (See appendix A). Accordingly, the highest physician reports of Occupational Pesticide Illnesses in California com from our service areas of Monterey and Fresno Counties (see appendix B). In 1988, with respect to pesticide illness by crop (in Calif.), grapes reported the highest number of cases N-36. (see appendix C) Again, farmworkers typically "harvesting this crop", consisting mostly of Hispanics. From 1980 to 1984, Fresno County has been in the top four counties in California with the highest numbers in total poisoning (see appendix D). Typically, causes of "field residue poisoning" is either (1) misapplication of pesticide or (2) "reentry interval is inadequate". (see appendix E). In conclusion, children of migrant farmworkers are exposed directly and in-directly to environmental toxins. Specifically without education and awareness, farmworker parents do not realize that when they come home to their families, they "run the risk" of exposing their children to toxic contaminants which have been absorbed by their clothes and skin. Proximity or location of migrant families in the rural areas, further contributes to exposure. Camps and or houses on many occasions have been exposed to pesticides sprayed by low-flying "crop-dusters. Pesticides have been linked not only to cancer, but, long-term exposure adversely effects the lungs, central nervous system, cell metabolism, and other vital parts of the human body. (see appendix F) If our children are to succeed and have a fighting chance at "breaking the cycle of poverty", through education, it requires that cognitive developmental abilities be at its' fullest potential. How can you explain to an innocent child in poverty, whose dreams are to learn more and more each day, that society has failed to fulfill its' responsibility in providing an environment conducive to cognitive development. Do we explain that previous generations were so engrossed with being "number one" economically, that we failed to thoroughly research the possible negative consequences resulting from saturating the soil, water, and earths natural resources with contaminants such as toxic pesticides? To this committee, concerned citizens, and distinguished guests, these children are our future leaders of America. Collectively we must each do our part within our own spheres of influence, to provide our children with the most effective tools, opportunities and capabilities with which to lead our nation. Collectively, we can make a difference. |