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For release April 28, 2005
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Contact:
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SOCM
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Murray Hudson
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(865) 426-9455
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(731) 836-9057
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Senate Votes Down Bill to Create Aerial Spraying Health Protections
Nashville- After nearly an hour-long debate, members of the Tennessee Senate Commerce, Labor and Agriculture Committee voted down the Tennessee Aerial Spraying Protection Act by 5 to 3 on April 26th.
The bill, brought by rural grassroots group SOCM, would have created buffer zones for the aerial spraying of chemicals around homes and public buildings, such as churches, schools and hospitals.
SOCM members believe the bill would create protections for rural residents from the drift of the aerial spray of pesticides. Rural citizens have been lobbing for legislative safeguards to protect their families and communities from the impacts of aerial drift for the last couple of years.
Voting for the bill were Senator Doug Jackson, Senator Jerry Cooper and Senator Rosalind Kurita. Voting against the bill were Senator Charlotte Burks, Senator Jim Bryson, Senator Don McLeary, Senator Tim Burchett, and Senator Steve Southerland.
Eleven year-old Preston Hobbs of Lawrence County testified before the Committee on Tuesday saying that he has suffered from health problems after being sprayed while in his grandfatheršs pasture in 2002.
He told Senators that his school is surrounded by pine plantations that are regularly sprayed to prevent hardwood growth. Hobbs explained that the area between the school building and the pine plantation is where the children play kickball.
"I donšt want any other kids to get sick," added Hobbs.
The committee chairman, Sen. Jerry Cooper, D-Morrison, said he's a Farm Bureau supporter but added, "If I had to choose between a farmer losing his crop and a granddaughter getting real sick, guess which one I'm going to choose."
Local residents expressed frustration with the lack of support by Senator McLeary who against the bill.
"If Senator McLeary cared about our children's health, he obviously he would have voted for this bill," said Howard White from Jackson "I'm really disappointed that he chose to vote against this basic protection.
We need some protection from the aerial drift of chemicals now. When did money become more important than a person's health?"
The bill, SB168/HB170, sponsored by Senator Doug Jackson (D) of Dickson and Representative Mike Turner of Old Hickory (D) would require aerial applicators to leave a 100' buffer zone around residences where only the ground application of pesticides can be applied.
It would also require applicators to leave a 300' buffer zone around public buildings. In addition to the buffer zones, the bill would require aerial applicators to send a public service announcement to local radio stations telling where, when and what the aerial applicator plans to spray.
The bill will also require the Department of Agriculture to keep a registry of pesticide-sensitive people and vulnerable businesses, such as beekeepers. For a $25 fee, people can register with the state to be added to the registry which will be sent to applicators.
Applicators will then be required by the Department of Agriculture to notify people on the list prior to spraying.
The bill has been opposed by the Tennessee Farm Bureau staff. Local Farm Bureau members from across the state have begun speaking out against the Farm Bureau position.
Wayford Washburn of Caroll County is a small farmer and Farm Bureau member who has lost cattle and bees to aerial drift commented. "The Farm Bureau does not have our interests in mind when they are up in Nashville lobbying against a bill that would help protect my farm and the health of my family."
"They speak like they represent every farmer in Tennessee, they donšt represent me and I intend to tell them," commented Linda Smotherman Farm Bureau member from Van Buren County.
"Rural Tennesseans need health protections from the aerial spraying of chemicals," said SOCM's Aerial Spraying Committee chair, Murray Hudson of Halls, Tennessee.
"SOCM will continue to work to pass legislation to protect the health of our children."
George Buckner, a SOCM member from Gibson, Tennessee feels that this defeat will make him work even harder to protect his family, "We will come back next year and we will be even stronger."
SOCM is a 33 year-old grassroots organization that works for social, environmental and economic justice in rural Tennessee. SOCM has created a hotline for people to call who are concerned about problems with aerial spraying. SOCM's toll free hotline number is: 1-877-431-7626.
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