Subject: PANUPS: Chlordane/Heptachlor Ban in Australia

From: Pesticide Action Network North America Reg Ctr <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 92 10:29:04 PST

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PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA UPDATES SERVICE
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CHLORDANE AND HEPTACHLOR TO BE BANNED IN AUSTRALIA

November 20, 1992

After three decades of warnings from scientists, unions and 
environmentalists, the organochlorine pesticides chlordane and heptachlor 
are finally being banned in Australia. Chlordane and heptachlor 
are used in Australian homes to control termites. Recent studies that show 
that even if houses are sprayed in accordance with government standards, 
airborne contamination will exceed guideline levels up to six months after 
application. Organochlorine pesticides have been banned for many years in 
over 26 countries worldwide for health or environmental reasons, yet they 
continue to be imported into Australia from the U.S. They contaminate fish 
and pollute groundwater, and are classified as possible 
human carcinogens by the World Health Organisation. Once the chemicals 
cease to have a commercial value, they become "intractable waste" in 
Australia. 
Environmental groups, industry groups and unions have long advocated 
non-chemical means of termite control. According to Greenpeace Toxics 
Coordinator, Lynette Thorstensen, "Australian companies are demonstrating 
that it is possible to protect your home from termites without poisoning 
the environment or your family."
The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) 
compiled a report on these chemicals which states that, in two years, "the 
registration and importation, sale and use of heptachlor and/or chlordane 
should cease." Like the EC, Australia has recognized the need for preventive 
action and has publicly advocated the  "precautionary principle" 
The report's major flaw is the leisurely timeline set for compliance. Under 
the NH&MRC plan, organochlorines will still be used for two years. 
Nonetheless, AustraliaUs precautionary action may mark the start of common 
sense environmental action on all organochlorine chemicals. 

Source/contact: Greenpeace Australia, Studio 14, 37 Nicholson St., Balmain, 
NSW 2141, Australia; phone (61-2) 555-7044; fax (61-2) 555 7154;
>From "News Notes," Global Pesticide Campaigner 2(4), November 1992
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This information is provided by the Pesticide Action Network North 
America Updates Service (PANUPS), a pesticide-related news service from 
the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) North American Regional Center. 
Updates are posted weekly on EcoNet in the "en.pesticides," 
"en.agriculture" and other appropriate electronic conferences, and 
distributed worldwide across the APC computer network. PANUPS is also 
posted in the Public Conference on RTK NET, on GeoNet in the 
PESTICIDES-BBS bulletin board, on FidoNet in The Ecology Network, on 
the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SANET) on BitNet, and on PENpages 
agriculture information service at Penn State Univ. Hard-copy compilations 
of these updates are also available. For more information about PAN 
activities and publications, contact: PAN NA RC, 965 Mission Street #514, 
San Francisco, CA 94103. Tel: (415) 541-9140. Fax: (415) 541-9253. Telex: 
156283472 PANNA. E-mail address on EcoNet: [email-masked]
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