Concerned Residents of Winnipeg and the Canadian Coalition for Health & Environment

April 17, 2006 For Immediate Release
Pesticides in Children! Do you know where the chemicals are?

Experts on the dangers of pesticides and how they affect our children descend on University of Winnipeg for Earth Day – Saturday, April 22, 2006
WINNIPEG , MB. – Merrell-Ann Phare of Winnipeg has 39 detectable chemicals in her body, 35 of which can cause reproductive and developmental disorders. This was a shocking discovery to Merrell-Ann who has tried for many years to live a chemical free existence. She’s a vegetarian. She doesn’t smoke. She buys organic products.

“I am shocked and dismayed by the extraordinarily high level of DMTP in my body”, Phare said. “DMTP is a breakdown product of malathion, a pesticide often used to control mosquitoes…Winnipeg sprayed with malathion heavily this past summer…It makes me wonder what the levels are for children in Winnipeg.”

Pesticides in Children! is the subject of the Earth Day forum which runs Saturday, April 22 from 9 am to 12 midnight at the Bulman Centre, University of Winnipeg. Organized by the Concerned Residents of Winnipeg (CROW) and the Canadian Coalition for Health and Environment (CCHE) the Earth Day Forum brings together scientists, researchers, activists and environmentalists from across North America to address critical issues surrounding environmental contaminants. They’ll tell you what contaminants are in our bodies. They’ll tell you what these contaminants are doing to us and especially to our children. And they’ll you what to do about them.

Dr. Warren Porter, professor of Environmental Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin talks about neurological, endocrine, immune, and developmental problems associated with low-level pesticide exposures with a focus on what's happening to children. Dr. Patricia Moulton and Dr. Thomas Petros of the University of North Dakota’s Center for Rural Health and School of Medicine are co-principal investigators on a National Institute of Environmental and Health Sciences project examining the impact of chronic, routine pesticide exposure on memory, executive function, motor and school-related performance in children between 7 and 12 years of age. Three activists from New York, Montreal and Halifax, respectively, describe their organizations’ efforts to reduce pesticide use in their communities.

“We know that children are more vulnerable to toxic chemical exposure,” says Glenda Whiteman, Forum coordinator and executive director of Concerned Residents of Winnipeg (CROW). “This forum is an opportunity to bring this research to a wider audience and to stimulate prevention-oriented research, education and policy change.”

Watch an interview with Merrell-Ann Phare. Participate in organic pest control and turf management workshops. Hear how and why pesticide bylaws are spreading across Canada. Learn how organic products can increase profits. See ‘Growing Your Business the Natural Way.’ Do your kids like bugs? Bring them along to participate in the “I Love Bugs!” program. It runs the entire day; 9 am – 5:30 pm. Admission to the forum is free. Donations are appreciated. Forum participants are asked to be scent-free. Tickets for the evening meal featuring an organic menu are available at the forum site for $10. The Dragonfly Cafe (with silent auction) runs from 7 pm to 12 midnight and features a solid line-up of local entertainment.

Concerned Residents of Winnipeg (CROW), Inc. is a non-profit organization and the Manitoba member group of the Canadian Coalition for Health & Environment (CCHE). CROW strives to protect all Manitobans from exposure to pesticides and to provide accurate information to politicians, decision makers and members of the public.

For information please visit www.CROWinc.org.

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For more information, contact: Glenda Whiteman, (204) 229-9613, Concerned Residents of Winnipeg (CROW), Inc. crowinc@mts.net; www.CROWinc.org