A new report just released earlier this week by the Oregon Toxics Alliance has proven to make big news. The report reveals that children in Oregon have been exposed to pesticides at schools, bus stops, and playing fields over the past two decades.

The report cites 56 cases of suspected pesticide exposure at schools and child care facilities since 1990. Lisa Arkin, the executive director for OTA, believes that a much larger problem of unreported cases are occurring.

The data for the report was pulled from the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Department of Human Services, and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The data gathered paints a picture of a larger ongoing problem with no laws to protect the most vulnerable of people... our children.

With all the attention given to pesticides and the potential harm that it may cause to our health, Oregon Toxics Alliance is calling for new laws regarding buffer zones for pesticides around schools.

An excerpt from the editorial section of Albany Democratic Herald notes the concerns that rural residents experience from aerial herbicide sprays:

"Assault with a deadly weapon? Chemical warfare? Eco-terrorism? What do you call it when a backward timber industry poisons rural Oregon families with routine helicopter herbicide spraying — contaminating livestock, organic gardens, water sources, even school children waiting for the bus?" -July 11th, 2008

Oregon Toxics Alliance is working to create buffer zones around schools and bus stops, and promoting alternatives to roadside spraying.

Rural communities are often most susceptible to herbicides and pesticides due to their close proximity to agriculture and forests. If you live in a rural Oregon community and you want more information, visit the Rural Rights page on the OTA website.

If you've been sprayed, we want to know about it. Together we can advocate for stronger laws to protect Oregonians.

If you plan on being there, make sure you are ready for a good time. Last year was my first year and I was a bit overwhelmed. I felt as though I didn't see the whole event because there were far too many people.

This year there are sure to be fun times, and if you're planning on going make sure to stop by the community village. It is a section of the venue devoted to progressive social change. There will also be various groups advocating against the use of toxics.

Lynn Bowers of the Forestland Dwellers will be producing a spoken word/panel discussion at the Oregon County Fair on personal histories and background of forest herbicide spraying. It will be on Friday at 1:30 at the Front Porch Stage, near the entrance.

Also, a couple people will be collecting signatures to help ban agricultural field burning in the state of Oregon. Signing the petition will help to make our air clean and free of particulates during our summers.

A local activist, Ellen Singer, organized a protest to express her feelings about field burning on July 6th. Yesterday marked the last day the Olympic Trials would be in town. A last ditch effort to reach out to the community to remind them that the field burning will now start since the Trials are over. She is trying to get as much attention on the issue to put pressure on the Governor to utilize his executive power to ban the practice once and for all.

"Fewer than 1,000 people benefit financially from field burning, yet more than 400,000 suffer — is that fair? He even said he supports a ban. So what’s stopping him?" questioned Ellen, in The Register Guard editorial section (July 7th, 2008.)

Some members and volunteers from Oregon Toxics Alliance showed up as well to show their support.

The idea behind the energy is to put pressure on the Governor from people writing editorials and getting more media attention. Many opponents to field burning feel that Olympic athletes and spectators were getting better treatment than local residents.

Stand-up Against Field Burning this Sunday (7/6/08)

In 2005, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission adopted
California’s emissions standards for light and medium duty vehicles. The new requirements were adopted as the Oregon Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) program and will take effect beginning with 2009 model year vehicles.

Washington also adopted California's emissions standards which will also begin for 2009 models. At least fourteen other states have already adopted the California standard for vehicle emissions.

The main reason for adopting the new rules was to reduce greenhouse gases. Another added benefit is a reduction in smog and toxic compounds like benzene and formaldehyde. The benefits in the long run as cited by the DEQ for Oregon:

• Greenhouse gases will be cut 30% by 2016.
• Smog-forming emissions will be lowered 12% to 33% by 2020.
• Hazardous air pollutants (including benzene) will be reduced 22% to 38% by 2020.

We have all heard of the potential health risk associated with teflon on our cooking pans, right? In case you haven't, read the highlights from a recent press release by the Sierra Club below about steps being taken to make it known by the state of California:

California is one step closer to adding Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to the Proposition 65 list of substances that can cause cancer. A legal challenge by a coalition of organizations cites the state’s failure to list PFOA, a chemical manufactured by DuPont and associated with Teflon and grease and stain repellants.

PFOA is a pervasive, synthetically-produced compound used in consumer and industrial products, including many non-stick surfaces found on cookware and stain-resistant, durable or all-weather clothing. It is prevalent in industries such as aerospace, automotive, building and construction, chemical processing, and electrical. PFOA’s use in popular consumer and industrial products has led to near universal exposure to the chemical.

Click Here, for the latest Field Burning news.

One of OTA's major campaigns is to ban the practice of field burning in the state of Oregon. Since the Olympic Trials are going to be in Eugene starting next week on June 27th, grass seed farmers have agreed to not burn for the sake of the elite athletes that will be in town.

However, the Oregonian reported today that "The Eugene-based Western Environmental Law Center has asked Gov. Ted Kulongoski for a broader burning ban, using the logic that if it's good for athletes, why isn't it good for regular folk too?"

"It's not fair to protect only elite athletes," said Charlie Tebbutt, staff attorney at the law center. "Those of us who live here the rest of the time deserve the same protection."

Oregon Toxics Alliance and its partners are claiming a victory with the Wednesday unanimous decision made by Lane County commissioners to ban indefinitely the use of roadside herbicide spray on county roads. OTA has played a large role in urging the public to write their commissioners in support of the ban.

The commissioners, acting as the Lane County Board of Health, will hire two workers to battle weeds and other destructive plants.