By Sarah Jane Keller/The Californian/January 11, 2012
Foes press for action on eve of court hearing to block state use of fumigant
Michael Marsh, right, directing attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance, speaks against the use of methyl iodide during a news conference Wednesday outside the Monterey County Government Center building in Salinas. The news event was held to help publicize legal action against the use of the controversial fumigant being heard today in the Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland. Conner Jay/The Salinas Californian.
Groups advocating against methyl iodide gathered in Salinas Wednesday, urging action against the pesticide within Monterey County and drawing attention to today's court hearing challenging state approval of the soil fumigant.
The press conference included community members from the women's worker group Líderes Campesinas, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, neighborhood organizations and the California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. The groups are pressing the Monterey County Board of Supervisors to pass a resolution urging Gov. Jerry Brown to reexamine the registration of methyl iodide.
CRLA, along with Earthjustice, filed a December 2010 suit against the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and its director. Arguments are being heard today in Oakland by the Alameda County Superior Court.
"In short there is not substantial evidence that the product should have been registered," Michael Marsh, the directing attorney for CRLA, said Wednesday afternoon at the Monterey County Government Center.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved methyl iodide as a pesticide in 2007 and it is currently used in 48 states for crops that include tomatoes, peppers, tree fruits, nuts and strawberries. The toxic chemical - listed as a carcinogen in California and a potential carcinogen federally - wasn't approved for use in the state until 2010.
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