I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.

I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.

This is an abomination. Please put our health first, before profits. I pledge to no longer buy California strawberries if this happens.

This is very upsetting. Our family loves strawberries, I would hate to have to cut them out of our diet! =(

Sincerely
Cheryl Seaman

I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.

DO NOT approve methyl iodide for use in California! This is a dangerous carcinogen which will ruin our water & air quality. If you approve this you are not putting the health of CA's people & environment first.

Dear CA Department of Pesticide Regulation,
I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.
Sincerely,
Pamela White
New York, NY

I can't believe that this is happening......another reason to just buy organic, and think that it is worth the money for increased safety. I knew that once we put Monsanto and other chemical companies in charge of our food supply, we were doomed.

Don't let public health suffer in the interest of big business.

Please stop the insanity of continuing to worry more about profits than health. Our foods are killing us and this is just another step to expedite the end.

when we can time to grow our own, If not don't buy strawberries. watch for this pesticide on other foods. vote your senators out who voted for this chemical

Science has proven that methyl iozide is a known toxin which is hazardous to human life. For this reason, I oppose endangering farm workers and surrounding California communities by spraying California strawberries with this pesticide.

I just sent the message. Thanks for posting this!

E-mail sent! I'm so glad there are people likeyou in the world to spread the news about this sort of thing. Keep going strong!! You have my support in this, even if I am Canadian ;)

The disconcerting news that California would use a known carcinogen on food is horrifying. Though I enjoy strawberries, I will not purchase ANY produce from California until this practice is permanently abandoned. I'll put my money where my mouth is. Thank you very much!

I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide. I am a California native and have many family members who will be adversely effected by the pending approval of this chemical.
Sincerely,
Heather Kirkpatrick

Thanks for the heads up. Do you think our voices will even be considered ... after all, our President is not listenning and doing whatever he wants regardless of the will of the people. I will hope that someone listens to reason and this matter is dropped. It's our food supply for crying out loud. Thanks again.

This insanity has to stop.Our children and our health are more important than profit

I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.

Thanks for posting this. Save the strawberries!

Why must we use these harmful chemicals on beautiful food? We are encouraged to eat fresh fruits and veggies, but I wouldn't want to eat these!

I just sent my email. Thanks for putting this up!

Well, that would make non-organic strawberries even less edible.... I only hope, besides for the measure to be not approved, that people will wake up and simply stop buying them. It seems that for hard headed businessmen that's the only indicator that counts.

Thanks for posting this. I'm in California, so message sent!

Done... I'm also in CA, and sent the message and will be telling my friends. Thank you!!!

Pleasse don't allow more toxic chemicals to be released in our enviroment. CA is an example for the rest of the nation, don't be a bad example!

Just sent them an email. We buy strawberries from California all winter long, but we'll have to eat our preserves in the winter instead if they approve this toxin. Does anyone know if organic strawberries are allowed to be treated with this?

Email sent. I live in Oregon, but most of my family live in California. Also, even though I buy organic, we have strawberries in our stores that come from California. Thank you for this important information.

How idiotic can our leaders be?...or is it, who's buying them off? They are being watched by those who vote and those who pay their salaries.

I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.

E-mail sent! Thank you for informing us about this.

If this goes through, I have no intention of ever buying California strawberries and I will broadcast to my entire network on the internet encouraging others not to buy California strawberries.

I want all of us to stop eating strawberries until we are certain that these sprays are banned. I love fresh berries but wondered how this was possible. The price in human suffering is too high. There has to be another way.

Thanks for sending those emails, everyone! Daria, in response to your question, no, methyl iodide would not be approved for organic farms.

Please do not use methyl iodide to spray on agriculture fields in california. The risk to humans, unborn babies and wildlife is not worth the profit that pesticide companies will gain. Afterall, they have families too.

Alert: a rally is being held on Thursday, 6/17/10 in Sacramento to voice public opposition to the proposed approval of methyl iodide. Please spread the word and try to attend. Event details are here: http://bit.ly/cNGPQH

Californians for Pesticide Reform, Pesticide Watch, PANNA and Credo Mobile have all been hard at work making this rally happen.

Thank you for posting this! Strawberries are some of the most pesticide-contaminated crops out there! I live in Canada, and we get a lot of California strawberries. This is not something that affects only Californians, so I'll be writing about it on my blog, and also write with my concerns to our Federal Health Minister and California's Department of Pesticide Regulation. I know they probably won't even consider my objection since I'm not a US citizen or California resident, but it's worth writing anyway.

I also say thank you for posting this. How frightening that we would put out such poisons onto our growing fields, into our water systems. We are reminded daily to eat our fruits and vegetables, then hear this terrible irony. I say "no way!" I will boycott fruits and vegetable and move to Organic. If Organic lets us down with these pesticides, I think we will all grow our own produce in our backyards. Or maybe organize community gardens across America. Then so much for farming.

I hope someone is listening.

Although I write about the past environmental catastrophe in Texas, now I'm in California, and I eat strawberries: thanks for the link!

I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.
Please think about your children and their children. What kind of a world are you giving them!!!

Thx for the heads-up on this frightening possibility of health concerns for all of us strawberry lovers in CA, and all over the US. I will never buy another box of strawberries again if this pesticide is used... What are they THINKING?

Carolyn S.

I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.

This is awful! I am sending them an email as well. I have Thyroid Cancer and one of the side effects of methyl iodide is Thyroid Cancer! I would not wish this disease on anyone! Maybe if the approvers of this pesticide would get Thyroid Cancer they would rethink!

Here is more info here: http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/scientists-question-new-chemical-stawberry-fields

-Kira

I am concerned about the pending approval of methyl iodide for use as a fumigant on California fields. Agricultural spraying of this poisonous chemical, linked to cancer, thyroid damage and fetal loss, threatens farm workers, Californians living in agricultural areas, and the state's water & air quality. I urge the DPR to put the health of the state's citizens & environment first and withdraw its recommendation to approve the use of methyl iodide.
Please think about your children and their children. What kind of a world are you giving them!!!

This has to stop!!!!!! Think of our children.
I will not buy strawberries sprayed with methyl iodide.

I am a parent and grandparent and also a nurse who understands the words neuro toxin very well. I suggest before we create another BP Spill in this country that we wake up and stop this next lethal intrusion on our welfare. The state of California and the United States of America have to start working with our scientific community before we are all diseased or dead. I suggest that the people who approve this deadly chemical be subjected to it for one year totally on their own without it being in our environment and see what the results are. Perhaps it should be introduced into their ground water, not ours and see what happens to them and their children. California will not have to worry about paying for education since there will not be any children to educate.

Back in the 1980's there was a poster in Community Market , Santa Rosa that stated that CA strawberry growers used 270 pounds of pesticides per acre .
Now they want to use methyl iodide .
So sad they are destroying lives and the planet for profit.
I only eat organic.