~~ Lt OOS 2 P, ae, © ree ORY oN pet : can 8 cert al Pome as CP CEM PO EP pn Goma page 16, October 19, 1977 - North Shore News -B.C. Hydro. that: During the summer, I wrote an open letter to Hon. James Nielsen, Minister of the Envir- onment, asking a num- ber questions with reg- ard to the safety of 2,-4D used in the Okanagan Lakes anti-- milfoil weed campaign and cited evidence that 2,.4-D causes cancer and | birth defects. I also referred to allegations that a number” of children were born with birth defects in the Gulf Islands following a spr-. aying programme by | In his reply, Mr. Nielsen re- ferred to my ‘‘collection of scary points’’: Specifically, he stated -‘It has not been established. that 2,4-D is a cancer-caus- ing compound”’ and said that **2,4-D has a well-establish- ed safety record.’’ -He described as a ‘“‘red herring’’ my statement that 2,4-D-type pesticides are believed to cause birth defects. -He said that precautions being taken are adequate. -He said that the Gulf Islands incident is believed to be of a minor nature. He said that the birth defects alleged ‘to. have occurred consist of a .“*skin dimple’: which is ‘‘not linked to environmental con- taminant.”’ . -He denied that 2,4-D can be - transformed into dioxin, one of the most dangerous substances known to man. -He described as ‘‘complete- ly false’’ a suggestion that the incidence of birth defects — in B.C. may be rising, in particular Mongolism (Down Syndrome) and ‘cleft palate. | ‘-In conclusion, the, minister stated that ‘‘the use of herbicide has been proven safe.’ He said also, if such | effects could be proven, ‘‘no cases of cancer or birth’ defects would be accept- able."’ So back we go... Hon. James A. Nielsen Minister of the Environment Parliament Buildings Victoria © Dear Minister: _ Thank you for. your letter in reply to my queries about the use of 2,4-D against milfoil in the Okanagan lakes. As requested, we have run this in full in our own newspaper and have distri- buted it to the other papers who received the original letter. In reply, may I ask a number of supplementary questions? a 1. 2,4-D as a possible: cancer-causing agent. I enclose a copy of a report ‘prepared for the U.S. Nat- ional Cancer Institute by Bionetics Research Labora- tories testing the effects of vou . ae i ‘ wha ete Fe et? . ae oe OC ae ee ee Oe i i i Pr ee tye 4 oo et. . et Matty eos PAR gt en A ORO APNG | PUA A a A Aira Dogpile cole Rab IN ah had portation nb Home Hea A Rm oa > we Re ‘MILFOIL-INFESTED LAKE OKANAGAN...but is the 2, 4-D remedy worse than the disease? 2,4-D Isoctyl ester and 2,4-D Butyl ester on mice. As you | will note from the summary sheets, signed ‘by the re- sponsible research scientists, that most of the mice tested developed tumors, many malignant. oT As you are -presumable aware, many responsible scientists have reported sim- ilar conclusions. For exam- ple, Dr. Charles Huver, professor of zoology at the University of Arizona, says ‘*2,4-D is a chemical -carcin-. - ogen”’ and calls its use “a form of chemical warfare.’’ Dr. Granville Knight, presi- deni of the Price-Pottenger Nutirion Foundation - 2,4-D ... not only produced birth defects but cancer in experi- mental mice.”’ . Dr. David Clarke and Dr. A. King of the Okanagan Board of Health have also expressed fears. 2. Your statement that 2,4-D has not been found to cause birth defects and that a statement to that effect was a ‘wed herring’: 0: I note that Drs. K.S. Khera_ and W.P. McKinley of the Food and Drug Directorate in Ottawa have published a report in the Journal of the Society of Toxicology, Vol. 22, 1972 in which 2,4-D is described as having ‘‘mal- formative potential’ and that “2,4-D gave significant re- sults regarding . . . inciden- ce of malformations."" Similarly, Dr. Samuel 5. Epstein writing in the pub- lication Environment, July-- August, 1970, reports ‘‘a statistically significant incid- ence of birth defects in mice from doses of three esters of 2,4-D."" : 3. Your statement that it is “completely false’’ to sugg- est that the incldence of birth defects may be Increasing In B.C., in particular Mongol- fom (Downs Syndrome] and’ cleft palate: rar Se Ca 4 wo Uy ane aon ' ae oS ae er ae ay . wets st a ta ll A at ad i nnd dh PLO at Me EU May a a) Ce Leena have a report of the 1976 Birth Defects - Conference ‘held at the University of B.C. ‘in which a report on Downs Syndrome ‘presented by Ev- ans, Hunter, and Hamerton stated ‘‘In women aged 35-39 . . . there has been a variable - but definite increase in the incidence of DS from 2.5/- 1000 live births in 1965-66 to 7.6/1000. in 1973-74."’ “In other words, a 200 per cent increase in Mongolism took | place in seven years. Figures. for cleft palate published in 1975. showed B.C. with the highest incid- ence of four provinces tested . and showed B.C. to have the second highest incidence of | “Mongolism. 3. Gulf Islands spraying _incidents and alleged result- ant birth defects: My information is that two babies, born to women living near power lines _ Sprayed with herbicide, dev- eloped spina bifida. Another died at the age of two witha . deformed head. You describe the spina bifida affliction as a ‘‘dimple’’ but I am informed that the final result could be a spastic condition, As you may know, parents continue - to protest that they have not béen justly treated. — 4 Your statement that -2,4-D does not form dioxins: | I refer you to a brief’ presented to the U.S. Envir- onmental Protection Agency : ‘by Timothy Harker, Office of Hazardous Materials Con- trol, May, 1974. Mr. Harker ‘stated that ‘‘five chloroph- enates, from 2.4 dichloroph- enate to Pentachlorophenate were tested, each formed a. corresponding dioxin.”’ (Dioxin, as you may know, caused the recent tragedy in Italy ‘when a town was devastated by a chemical ..plant explosion.) These brief extracts are hardly ‘adequate. in discuss- ing such a complex question but I believe they reveal sufficient evidence to quest- ion your statement that ‘‘the use of herbicide has been proven safe."’ | wonder if you might review your position in. view of your statement ‘‘no rr ek ae ae Oe, ea ee ~. God wouldn't have | - given us feet if he “ didn’t mean for us to - ‘use them. 00. 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