EPA, Don't Let Texas Spray Highly-Toxic Herbicide (Propazine)!

  • by: Susan V
  • recipient: US EPA and Texas Dept of Ag

Monsanto aggressively sells its practice of fooling around with nature - or genetic modification - as a benefit to farmers and consumers. But in reality, growing Monsanto’s GMO (Roundup-ready) herbicide-resistant crops causes huge weed problems, like the pigweed problem in Texas now.

Roundup-resistant cotton in Texas has caused “an epidemic” of pigweed. Calling this an “emergency,” the Texas Department of Agriculture is now asking the EPA for a special permit to use hundreds of thousands of pounds of the very hazardous herbicide propazine to kill these herbicide -resistant weeds that Roundup overuse created in the first place.

This solution Texas seeks to solve its weed problems suspiciously benefits Albaugh, Inc, coming and going, because Albaugh makes propazine AND Roundup.

According to a 2007 Forbes report, Albaugh made a secret deal with Monsanto years ago when Roundup’s glyphosate went off patent, and that deal made Albaugh “the second-biggest glyphosate producer in the U.S.”  

Even though pigweed is a serious problem for cotton farmers, Propazine is not the solution, says the Center for Food Safety, adding that what’s really needed are practices that “don’t create resistant weeds in the first place.”

The use of propazine not only poses a serious threat to human health, but also a serious conflict of interests that has not been widely exposed. EPA is taking comments on this issue now.

Insist the EPA not allow Texas to spray this highly toxic herbicide, propazine!

We, the undersigned, have substantially justified concerns not only about the serious documented health risks posed by the requested use of Propazine, but also about the conflict of interests surrounding the company that would profit from the use of this highly-toxic chemical.

According to EcoWatch, “Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, or pigweed, is one of 14 glyphosate-resistant weed species that have been generated by intensive use of glyphosate with Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops, which are genetically engineered to withstand repeated dousing with the herbicide. Texas’ 3 million acres of cotton represents about one-quarter of the U.S.’ annual production.”

EcoWatch also reports that “Propazine is a possible human carcinogen and a “restricted use pesticide”—the EPA’s category for particularly hazardous agricultural chemicals. The EPA has found that propazine, like atrazine, is an endocrine disruptor (disrupts the hormonal system) and that when fed to pregnant rats, it causes birth defects in their young. Propazine is persistent, requiring years to break down, and is detected in both ground and surface waters. The European Union has banned propazine due to its toxicity.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, propazine is made by Albaugh, Inc under the name of Milo-pro, and according to Forbes’ 2007 article, Albaugh made a deal with Monsanto in 2000 to produce and sell the main ingredient in Roundup - glyphosate.

According to Forbes, “Glyphosate was a wild success, beyond Albaugh’s expectations. ….Albaugh has made up for shrinking margins with rising volume and claims to be the second-biggest glyphosate producer in the U.S.”
[http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2007/0409/068.html]

Clearly there exists serious health concerns, coupled with a suspicious conflict of interests in the Texas Department of Agriculture’s EPA request for emergency use of propazine. It is past time to stop creating such “emergencies” that result in more benefit to those who cause the problem in the first place. It's past time to find more appropriate, and less toxic solutions when these problems occur - solutions that don’t encourage and reward those who create them.

For a number of reasons, Texas Dept of Ag’s request for use of propazine is unacceptable, and the EPA must reject it!

Thanks for your time.







Update #29 years ago
Great News! Your comments made a difference. EPA denied this request to use propazine - Milo-pro - made by one of the top sellers of Roundup, due mostly to concerns about water contamination.
Even though the Texas Dept of Ag claims EPA is letting down cotton growers, my interview with the Ag Dept revealed that they have several options that are not as toxic as propazine. Please keep commenting and let the Ag Dept know you know there's a conflict of interest in their choice of Milo-pro.
Update #19 years ago
The petition link with your comments has already been posted to the EPA regarding the Texas Dept of Agriculture's request to use propazine. The link is below if anyone would like to comment directly.
THE COMMENT PERIOD ENDS IN 8 DAYS - ON JULY 3, 2014.
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0419-0001
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