Pubdate: Thu,  5 Sep 2002
Source: Associated Press (Wire)
Copyright: 2002 Associated Press
Author: George Gedda, Associated Press Writer

U.S. PLANS TO FUMIGATE IN COLOMBIA

WASHINGTON (AP) - The State Department is planning changes in the chemical 
mix of a spray used to eradicate coca plants in Colombia because it 
contains an ingredient that causes eye irritation.

The plan was made public Thursday in a federal report sought by Congress, 
which asked the administration to determine the safety of the eradication 
program for humans and the environment.

An examination of the spraying program uncovered no unreasonable risks in 
either category, said a senior official who briefed reporters on condition 
of anonymity. The report was a collaboration by the State and Agriculture 
departments and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Eradication of coca plants in Colombia has been a U.S. goal for more than 
two years. The aim is to cut cocaine exports to the United States and deny 
financing to illegal armed groups that profit from the drug trade.

They include two leftist rebel groups and a rightist paramilitary organization.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of a Senate panel dealing with spending 
on foreign operations, has been concerned about potential hazards of the 
fumigation program and is the author of legislative conditions on paying 
for it.

On Thursday, Leahy declined to take a stand on the study but noted there 
are reports of health problems and food crops destroyed from the fumigation.

"Spraying a toxic chemical over large areas, including where people live 
and livestock graze, would not be tolerated in our country," Leahy said.

The study contains an Aug. 14 letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell 
from Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, who defended the use of glyphosate, 
the main herbicide in the spraying.

She wrote that glyphosate "poses minimal health risks to humans and 
animals, is environmentally benign, and degrades rapidly in soil and water."

But a memorandum in the report says an inert ingredient in the glyphosate 
formulation used in Colombia carries the potential for acute eye toxicity, 
which can cause temporary discomfort.

The report said the EPA concluded that the risks of eye damage are limited 
to the handlers and mixers of the concentrated formula and not the public 
at large. A test sponsored by the State Department determined that the 
spray mixture had a toxicity level of three on a scale of one to four, with 
one being the most toxic.

A new formulation with lower potential for toxicity was recently approved 
for use in Colombia. The report said the State Department expects to place 
an order for the product early this month.

Some people living in areas where spraying occurs have complained of health 
problems from the fumigation but the Colombian government says it has found 
no evidence to support such claims.

Colombian officials say the herbicides used by coca growers are more unsafe 
than glyphosate, which is widely used in the United States.
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