Documents

Pesticide Incident Report, submitted June, 2007

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Subject: responsibility

Date: Wednesday 27 June 2007 11:48
From: Glenda Whiteman <glendawhiteman@mts.net>
To: Minister of Conservation <mincon@leg.gov.mb.ca>, Minister of Health <minhlt@leg.gov.mb.ca>, Minister of Healthy Living <minhliv@leg.gov.mb.ca>, Serge Scrafield <serge.scrafield@gov.mb.ca>, Tracey Braun <tracey.braun@gov.mb.ca>, Ken Plews <ken.plews@gov.mb.ca>, William Weaver <william.weaver@gov.mb.ca>, ombudsman@ombudsman.ca, Rowena Fisher <Rowena.Fisher@gov.mb.ca>
Cc: PMRA INFOSERV <PMRA_INFOSERV@hc-sc.gc.ca>, Pat Martin <Martin.Pd@parl.gc.ca>, Elizabeth May, Jack Layton <laytoj@parl.gc.ca>, Minister of Health <Clement.T@parl.gc.ca>, "Dr. Jon Gerrard" <jon.gerrard@leg.gov.mb.ca>, Mayor Katz <mayor@winnipeg.ca>, Taz Stuart <tstuart@winnipeg.ca>, Jenny Gerbasi <jgerbasi@winnipeg.ca>, Wpg Pesticides Group <winnipegpesticides@yahoogroups.com>, Canadian Coalition for Health & Environment <CCHEwgonline@yahoogroups.com>, Problem Pesticides Manitoba <prairieorchardorganics@yahoo.ca>, Bobbie Whiteman <bobbie.whiteman@gmail.com>, Chemical Sensitivities Manitoba <madray@mts.net>, Childrens Environmental Health Project <kimleew@shaw.ca>, "mikechristie@rogers.com" <mikechristie@rogers.com>

Dear Manitoba,

As you will read below, Canada and Winnipeg have now both abdicated
responsibility for poisoning their most vulnerable citizens such as myself
(with chemical sensitivies), my pregnant daughter and my unborn grandson. I
have promised Canada that I will document my symptoms as they progress until
I have detoxified to the point of health I enjoyed before spraying began, and
this document will be made available upon request.

Manitoba remains the responsible party because it is you who permits this
poisoning. You are the party responsible for responding to my now two buffer
zone failures in the province this spring (May 17 in Winnipeg and June 24 at
Finns.) You remain the only party who has not responded to my communications
below.

I am including the Human Rights Commission since it is relevant to the
complaints against the Province initiated by myself on behalf of those groups
most vulnerable to pesticides in 2005. Note these complaints remain
unresolved. (HRC rebuttal 260, HRC rebuttal 273)

I am including the Ombudsman on the advice my city councillor after the first
buffer zone failure. Note this too remains unresolved.

I am including Problem Pesticides Manitoba who registered my rural property
with you. All others are included because this issue is relevant to the work
they do.

My daughter awaits reimbursement. I await your response.

Sincerely,

Glenda Whiteman
(204) 229-9613
as of next week: Box 370, Arnes, Mb, R0C 0C0
www.CROWinc.org
www.cche-info.com
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Subject: RE: Pesticide Incident Report
Date: Wednesday 27 June 2007 09:32
From: "MYO-Mayor" <MYO-Mayor@winnipeg.ca>
To: glendawhiteman@mts.net
Cc: "Stuart, Taz" <tstuart@winnipeg.ca>

Dear Ms. Whiteman:

Thank you for your recent email which our office received on June 25,
2007 regarding mosquito fogging.

I have taken the liberty of forwarding your correspondence to Mr. Taz
Stuart, City Entomologist, for his information.

Again, thank you for your communication. I appreciate being made aware
of your concerns.

Yours sincerely,
Sam Katz
MAYOR

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Subject: RE: at your earliest convenience
Date: Tuesday 26 June 2007 12:00
From: "Stuart, Taz" <tstuart@winnipeg.ca>
To: "Glenda Whiteman" <glendawhiteman@mts.net>

Good day,

I received your report. The City of Winnipeg does not accept
individual incident reports, the PMRA is the only receiving facility and
this will not be available until the fall. I suggest sending your report
to the PMRA then. I will not be responding to your request for
reimbursement.

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Subject: Pesticide Incident Report #2
Date: Monday 25 June 2007 11:46
From: Glenda Whiteman <glendawhiteman@mts.net>
To: PMRA INFOSERV <PMRA_INFOSERV@hc-sc.gc.ca>, Mayor Katz
<mayor@winnipeg.ca>, Tracey Braun <tracey.braun@gov.mb.ca>, Ken Plews
<Ken.plews@gov.mb.ca>, Taz Stuart <tstuart@winnipeg.ca>, Jenny Gerbasi
<jgerbasi@winnipeg.ca>
Cc: "mikechristie@rogers.com" <mikechristie@rogers.com>, Wpg Pesticides Group
<winnipegpesticides@yahoogroups.com>

Pesticide Incident Report #2
June 25, 2007

As I was preparing to evacuate the city last night with my pregnant daughter,
we learned that our intended destination (my property at Finns, in the
Interlake) had been crop-dusted about a half hour prior to our departure.
Please note that my property is registered with the province (through Problem
Pesticides Manitoba) as being in a no-spray buffer zone. This is the second
time this year that my buffer zone has not been respected. What will the
province do this time? Probably exactly nothing, just like last time.

Consequently, I was forced to spend the night in a hotel (also not the best
place for a chemically sensitive person.) Due to the rain again, it appears
fogging was put on hold, and I do not yet know if I will be forced to repeat
this ridiculous evacuation procedure again tonight. When my daughter and I
were evacuated from our home in St. Norbert ten years ago because of the
flood, we were very grateful to the province for providing food and shelter.
The only difference now is that I cannot stay in my home, not because of a
naturally occurring disaster, but because of human error in judgement.

The receipts for last night's emergency evacuation (not including gas and
tips) total $122.56. The Insect Control Branch map has not yet been revised
for the day, so I do not yet know if I will have to be doing this again
tomorrow. Please forward a cheque to reimburse these expenses to my
daughter: {name & address removed for privacy}.

As well, I will appreciate your respones by e-mail to confirm receipt of this
communication, and to let me know who among you requires a copy of the hotel
receipts.

Furthermore, to those of you at the Province, please let me know how I can be
sure of my safety when I move to Finns later this week?

Sincerely,
Glenda Whiteman
(204) 229-9613

this week: 38 Arnold Avenue, Winnipeg
next week: Finns, Hwy 222 & Rd 126

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Subject: Re: Step Up
Date: Monday 25 June 2007 14:54
From: PMRA INFOSERV <PMRA_INFOSERV@hc-sc.gc.ca>
To: Glenda Whiteman <glendawhiteman@mts.net>

Hello Ms. Whiteman,

I acknowledge receipt of your e-mail which I have forwarded to staff.
Should any additional information be required, I will be contacting you.

Though the PMRA registers and regulates all pest control products,
provinces and territories are able to enact regulations to restrict or
prohibit the use of products that are registered under the PCPA in their
jurisdictions. Therefore, I would suggest that you contact your provincial
ministry of the environment or your municipal government as the mosquito
fogging program is either a municipal or provincial initiative.

Robert Martin
Regulatory Information Officer / Agent d'information sur la réglementation
Pest Management Regulatory Agency/Agence de réglementation de la lutte
antiparasitaire
2720 Riverside Drive
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K9
1-800-267-6315
613-736-3799 (Outside Canada)
www.pmra-arla.gc.ca
www.eddenet.ca

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Subject: Step Up
Date: Sunday 24 June 2007 19:53
From: Glenda Whiteman <glendawhiteman@mts.net>
To: PMRA INFOSERV <PMRA_INFOSERV@hc-sc.gc.ca>, Tracey Braun
<tracey.braun@gov.mb.ca>, Mayor Katz <mayor@winnipeg.ca>, Taz Stuart
<tstuart@winnipeg.ca>, Gerald Flood <gerald.flood@freepress.mb.ca>

Some time ago I was informed by the PMRA that a citizen can supply a
pesticide incident report directly to the PMRA, since the appropriate forms
will not be ready until September. Please find below my incident report.
Please excuse any spelling errors as it is difficult to see through my tears
right now.

Pesticide Incident Report
June 24, 2007

I live in Winnipeg. I have multiple chemical sensitivities induced by
consecutive exposure to malathion in 2002. I went to bed last night on the
erronoeous assumption that if it rained, the mosquito adulticiding program
would be suspended for the entire evening. I did not close all the windows.

I woke up this morning and immediately vomited. I had a headache which can
best be described as having a steel band squeezing around my head. It has
not subsided. I had severe abdominal cramps.

I live several zones away from the areas that were fogged last night.
Tonight they are fogging my area. My buffer, even if it is respected this
time, will clearly not be enough to protect me. As well, my daughter lives
and works in an area that might be fogged tonight. She and I both work
tomorrow. We spent the weekend together in pre-natal classes. Have you
heard of critical periods of exposure?

Neither one of us has the choice of not working tomorrow. Neither one of us
can afford to leave our homes and go find somewhere safe to spend the night.

Neither one of us can afford not to.

Who will reimburse us for travelling costs, time lost, and accomodations
somewhere? And who will wash our city before we come back to it to go to
work tomorrow? Have you heard of break-down products?

What will the PMRA do about this? What will the Province do? What will the
Mayor do? What will the Entomologist do? What will the media do?

Somebody better take responsibility. Step up.

Sincerely,

Glenda Whiteman

(204) 229-9613

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