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Pesticides found in Alaska
By Carrie L. James

 

May 15, 2006
Monday


The recent article about "pesticides found in Alaska wilderness" is a perfect example why aerial pesticide/herbicide spraying should not take place on Long Island located near Prince of Wales Island which is only about 100 miles from Ketchikan. Pesticides travel, they are not bio-degradeable and Alaska does not need this presedence set. So many people have echoed the same concerns and are against "Aerial Spraying of Pesticides" that would inevitably open pandoras box to ruin our beautiful pristine state; yet DEC ignores the legitamate concerns of the broad coalition of organizations, tribes, medical professionals, and subsistence users. So many people from the lower 48 have expressed that they will not buy wild-salmon contaminated with pesticides and will resort to farmed salmon which would hurt our economy. What does it take to open DEC's eyes? The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of Indigenous people's under International Law (the inherent right to subsist)which the Federal Government ratified and reaffirmed in 2002 or Governor Murkowski's proclamation just this last April 6, declaring May, 2006 is "Toxic Injury awareness and education month" should make DEC (state of Alaska) change their mind on allowing aerial spraying to occur. I am losing faith in the Department of Environmental Conservation and in my opinion DEC will stand for Department of Environmental "Contamination" if they make irresponsible decisions. Aerial Pesticide spraying should be banned altogether in our state, which is what some other states have already done.

People need to be vocal and say "NO", not in our state. We need to start contacting our nearest Senators and State Representatives and let them know as their constituant that we want them to step in and pass a bill to ban aerial spraying altogether; if they are not willing we need to remember "we the people" are the ones who put them in office. I have already spoken at the State Capitol to my constituants, and other Senators and State Representatives lobbying to change laws to ban this so that DEC will not have the authority to hand out these permits to other corporations.
I always welcome feedback.

Respectfully submitted by,

Carrie L. James
cljames[at]kpunet.net
Ketchikan, AK - USA



About: Current ANS Grand 2nd Vice Presiden- Subsistence committee member current ANS Camp #14 President past Tribal Council member for Ketchikan Indian Community-current Subsistence committee member for KIC (Tribal member at large) past Ketchikan Tlingit & Haida Delegate concerned subsistence user

 

Related Article:

Pesticide traces found in Alaska wilderness By Ned Rozell - Burial Lake, named after a nearby Eskimo burial ground, is a half-mile-long body of water north of the Brooks Range. The lake is far from any village, and even farther from the nearest fruit orchard, so why did snow from near Burial Lake have traces of a commercial pesticide? - More...
May 12, 2006

 

 

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