Toxins in our environment are causing great harm. Due to improper use and inadequate oversight our environment is becoming more dangerous. Pesticides are causing birth defects and deadly toxins are building up in the food chain.
More recent violations of pesticide use in fields of tomatoes in New Jersey resulted in a million dollar fine. Florida company , Ag-Mart Produce Inc. was already in trouble in their North Carolina fields where female employees' babies were born with serious defects. In one instance one poor baby was born with no arms or legs.
According to the New Jersey Star Ledger and the Palm Beach Post, these violations have been happening since at least 2004. Not only have they violated proper use of pesticides they have also forbidden inspectors access to their facilities.
Rules and regulations have been very lax during the recent Bush administration. As a result, business ethics are threatening the security and the health of this country. Rogue corporations do not want the general public to know about pesticide dangers, especially the workers. It is rare to win a case against their armies of lawyers.
Even today the thousands of deaths from the Union Carbide deadly gas leak disaster in India have not been properly addressed. And chemicals banned in the US are still sold to unsuspecting customers in other countries, threatening their workers and the food chain.
Too many corporations have gone rogue and too many workers and consumers have died or been permanently damaged. Trade laws are too lax and so are the rules regarding worker, food and consumer protections.
Let's hope our new EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson will press for cleaning up our environment and protecting the food and environmental security of this country. Take action at this link by telling Lisa Jackson to protect our workers by ensuring they work in an environment safe from dangerous chemicals.
