The US Federal government just got involved with Douglas County, a place with a lot of apple orchards and other orchards. Hey, we know this site is called Washington Apples, but lets make a little fruit cocktail and throw some cherries and pears in! Why not? They all use pesticides.
A certain local newspaper’s article tipped off the CDC to a rash of illness. The CDC website says “20 farmworkers working in a cherry orchard became ill from off-target drift of a pesticide mixture that was being applied to a neighboring pear orchard. ”
I feel bad for those guys. The symptoms were nasty: “Sixteen sought medical treatment for neurologic, gastrointestinal, ocular, and respiratory symptoms. ”
The CDC goes on to point out what I consider to be thenegligence and carelessness of the local orchard industry: “Incidents such as this could be prevented if farm managers planning pesticide applications notify their neighbors of their plans.”
Nice, guys. Which excuse are orchard owners using this time? The “Right to Farm Act”? Does that allow you to spray toxic junk into the air and make people sick with your pesticides? It certainly does not.
And people are not only getting sick from your pesticides, they are getting sick of them! Oregon state residents recently initiated a lawsuit against pesticides use. And guess what “the pesticide applicator and the aerial spray company he owns have been fined $10,000 each by the state and had their pesticide licenses suspended”.
Apparently, people don’t like toxic pesticides being sprayed. Go figure.