After being exposed to an insecticide called chlorpyrifos only 20 hours prior, 10 Syngenta (a biotech company) field workers were rushed to the hospital after serious adverse health conditions arose. [1]
The Kauai agricultural workers were exposed to the insecticide chlorpyrifos, used on corn, which is currently under consideration for a ban by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). More than 3.5 tons of the pesticide were used in Hawaii in 2014 despite concerns over its environmental effects, as well as adverse health implications. The insecticide was also recently found in what were once considered protected water sources.
Joshua Uyehara, Syngenta Hawaii’s continuous nursery site manager, said in a phone interview that a field supervisor realized that the employees shouldn’t have been in the field within a few minutes after they entered it. Syngenta would not tell anyone what symptoms the 10 workers endured, but they were severe enough that after taking them to Syngenta’s offices and ‘cleaning them up,’ they still needed to go to the hospital.
Six of the workers were cleared to return to work within days, and all of them are now back at work – despite the fact that long-term exposure to the toxic pesticide is likely to cause additional health problems.
Uyehara said the company paid for the medical care and is conducting “a full review of how we can improve the policies and practices that we have in place to be sure that we continue to maintain a safe work environment.”
The EPA was previously sued for not making a decision to ban chlorpyrifos.
“Calling the EPA’s delay in regulating chlorpyrifos “egregious,” the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ordered EPA to respond to the 2007 petition by October 30. The original lawsuit spurring the court deadline was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of Pesticide Action Network (PAN) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).”
Dr. Margaret Reeves, Senior Scientist at PAN, said:
“Given the incredibly strong science on the health harms of this pesticide, it’s absurd that EPA has taken so long to act. A ban will finally ensure that children, workers and families in rural communities are safe from this drift-prone, bad actor pesticide.”
Uyehara said the company doesn’t have any plans to discontinue its use of chlorpyrifos.
“As far as we’re concerned, it’s still registered as safe as long as it’s used in accordance with the label,” he said.
Syngenta also will not release the number of workers who entered the field where this toxic pesticide was sprayed. Uyehara said the incident is still under internal investigation. Syngenta Kauai has 108 full-time employees and depending on the time of year, may have up to 200 temporary employees.
Additional Sources:
[1] CivilBeat
But it’s supposed to be safe to consume the corn afterwards?
Obviously someone didn’t read the label.
Yes, so true,
The company, Syngenta, ordered it’s employees into the toxic environment.
I’m sure you will have a different take on the employee/employer relationship, the fascist version is to blame all except the responsible party, which makes you an accomplice to the crime.
Your a pussy fascist and should lead the way into these toxic environments to spew your hate and destruction to all who are stupid enough to follow.
Wow, whining again? That is all you ever seem to do. Someone messed up. Syngenta lived up to their mistake, informed all the labor agencies, got medical attention for those affected, and implemented a more vigorous trading program for safety. Mistakes happen, unless of course you hide out in mommies basement like you do so she can tell you how “perfect” you are. Way to go cry baby.
Thanks for the typical fascist statement in regards to correcting your scripted responses and lies.
It would seem a little odd that the inventor of a chemical would, by your own omission, need to read the label. They maliciously and negligently endangered those who depend on them, but giving them the required medical attention some how is an act of charity and kindness. Yes they admitted their failure, maybe you could take and live by their example? F**king moron.
I’m only stupid because you say so, your stupid because of what you have openly stated, that your stupid.
How stupid can you be? Obviously you take it to new heights. Yes, Syngenta makes chemicals, but they didn’t make this one. It was invented by Dow. Yet another error in your research, but just one of many by a moron like you.
I’m not the one defending a chemical company who just poisoned their employees.
Look up MSDS, OSHA and restricted use chemicals and their licensing requirements.
And you claim to sell them, so you should have the knowledge and experience, but your lying because your just a disinfo agent.
Lying fascist, those laws are in place for a reason, to keep from things like this happening in the first place. So your saying the corporation is above right to know and all applicable regulating agencies?
They are a leadership failure and will continue to be such.
And your a liar and will continue to be such.
Not defending the company, but mistakes happen. It happened to your parents and now there is a moron loose on the world.
Deal with the allegations and the history of the safety measures, to include the regulatory agencies.
What do your parents have to do with anything?
Nice try to turn it around, but again you failed miserably.
Using facts is turning it around. Quite a demonstration of delusional thinking there Fascist.
But only you live in the perfect world.
Your right, good healthy, great family, honest and profitable business helping my customers provide food for many. Couldn’t ask for much more, very thankful.
You had earlier stated your business was over 1 million in debt, lying failure fascist. Industrial farming does not feed anyone, they kill good honest family run farming.
You support the death of the family farms and are a fascist threat to freedom.
Spin more lies, they suit your mindset.
I also said that was years ago, but you usually like to leave out important facts there mommies little boy. My small business depends on the family farm, but again you missed that one as well. The larger corporate farms usually bypass small retailers like me. A fact that I’m sure goes way over your head. By the way, why did you change your name?
Yes, dude with multiple internet accounts and identities, Any banking institution will loan a failed business money, but only if it is imaginary and mentally sickness fascist supported. Just like your imaginary associations are.
Your responsible for killing thousands of true family run and supported farming businesses, just through your fascist views and supporting corporate tyranny.
Prove who I am, and ask your hacker buddies why they attempted to hack MLB’s wife’s personal accounts.
Why would Military personnel just up and leave, oh yeah many of them hold national security clearances and they are guided by regulation and applicable training based on years of historical knowledge. Your one of the stupidest f**ks I’ve ever had the pleasure of engaging.
The difference between you and I, I will do as directed.
Your a weak pussy coward, loyal to none, and will do anything. Your called a liability.
You are called a moron. I told you before, of course you didn’t listen, that a bank would not loan us money. A simple fact that is still true today unless it carries a personal guarantee. No one wants a business that has to go through an environmental study on the ground before they could sell it. The loans came from suppliers, again only with a personal guarantee, and even then it took quite a bit of luck and a lot of hard work to get where we are today. Something you have no clue about.
So what your saying is,
A successful business would invest millions into an obvious failure?
They didn’t become successful by investing into failure, and with a personal guarantee, because you say so?
How many people are stupid enough to really believe that crap?
1, you, because your a tool and a moron living in a fantasy world to make up for your total failings in life.
Last point, your the only person on the internet that knows about business and investing?
Total idiotic claim there loser.
Wow, you were close. I’m the only one on the internet that knows about my business and what happened. What was the down side for our suppliers? They sold product and had a note with a co-signer. Oh and by the way one million, isn’t millions. Just another of your errors.
Millions is millions, your saying they are stupid enough to support any failures based on word and ignoring the out right demonstration of high risk investing and failure business practices.
Your just so special, anybody else they would have taken everything.
Obvious fantasy land there loser.
You are so stupid, I guess you never heard of a thing they just came out with, it is called a financial statement. It includes a thing called a balance sheet, so a company can determine if you are worthy of the requested amount of credit. You really need to get out of the basement and leave the blow up doll alone there mommies little moron.
Your a f**king pervert and no one would loan a historically failed business money. Keep trying to justify your fantasy.
Most feed seed and grain companies hold about 500k in true assets, only a failure would loan double the worth to a failure. Investing comes from the top down, not imagined friends and salesmen. If a bank wouldn’t loan ya the money, no one would. No real rural and traditional company would ever risk everything, let alone survive if they did. Your stupid to think that your the only one in the world who knows about business and investing, STUPID.
You might try proving yourself instead of acting like you are special and are granted favors by investors too stupid to realize a failure when they see one. Any big business would take all you have leaving you in the streets with nothing. Why, because they can!
Prove your foolish allegations.
Your hole is getting deep there mommies little moron. The sprayer we just purchased is over three hundred thousand and that just one piece of many. As for the rest, you keep grasping at straws, but we are in business today thanks to what I said. (And doing very well).
Lmao, because you say.
Many people know how farming and loans work, your not special there turd.