Pubdate: Fri, 06 Sep 2002 Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) Copyright: 2002 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc Contact: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340 Author: George Gedda, Associated Press Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?208 (Environmental Issues) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Colombia (Colombia) U.S. ANTI-COCA SPRAY FOUND TOXIC TO EYES The Chemical Is Used To Fight Colombia's Cocaine Trade. A More Benign Formula Is On The Way. WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S.-supplied chemicals used to eradicate coca plants in Colombia have the potential for "acute eye toxicity," according to a government report released yesterday. It said the State Department plans to switch to a less toxic formulation as soon as it can be manufactured and delivered. The report was issued in response to a congressional requirement that the government make a determination on the U.S.-led eradication program's safety for humans and the environment. The report included contributions from the State Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Agriculture Department. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D., Vt.) has questioned the safety of the aerial spraying program, which is intended to curb cocaine exports to the United States and to deny revenue to illegal armed groups that profit from the drug trade. Private watchdog groups also have expressed concern about the safety of the program. Some people living in areas where spraying occurs have said the activity has produced health problems. The Colombian government has found no evidence to support such assertions. The report contains an Aug. 14 letter to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell from Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, who defended glyphosate, the main herbicide used in spraying. Veneman wrote that glyphosate "poses minimal health risks to humans and animals, is environmentally benign, and degrades rapidly in soil and water." But a "memorandum of justification" contained in the report says that an inert ingredient in the glyphosate formulation used in Colombia carries the potential for acute eye toxicity. It said that an EPA report concludes that the risks of eye damage are limited to the "handlers and mixers of the concentrated formula as opposed to the general public." The EPA report said a test sponsored by the State Department determined that the spray mixture had a "category three" toxicity level, based on an EPA scale of one through four, with one being the most toxic. A new formulation with lower potential for acute toxicity was recently approved for use in Colombia. The report said the State Department expected to place an order for the product early this month. - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl