Comment submitted by J. Stewart

To: EPA Advisory Committee Concerning Volatilization of Drift of Conventional Pesticides Thank you for this opportunity to share my personal experience and concern for public health regarding the use of conventional pesticides and drift. It is possible that I was first exposed to pesticides before I was even born. I lived in the same farm area from 1948 to about 1969 and then again from 1988 to 2005. That is about 38 years on living on my parents' farm. They lived there, all but four years, from 1947 to the time of their deaths. My father passed away August 3, 1999 and my mother April 2, 2001. As a child I remember having numerous earaches, stomach problems and difficultly learning in school. I also remember that my mother seemed to constantly have the "flu." My father was very healthy except for problems with his heart valve and had to have 3 knee replacements due to the type of work he did. Both parents also had high blood pressure as they aged and my mother had problems with her thyroid and liver. In 1996 my father developed proteinuria and hematuria, indicating kidney problems. These symptoms can be associated with paraquat exposure, as well as other chemicals used in my area. Near the end of his life, he was also diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, rare waxy casts, became anemic from an upper gastrointestinal bleed requiring blood transfusion and great weakness. These are all symptoms of paraquat exposure according to your EPA manual on Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings. And yes, paraquat was used in the orchard located at the rear of our property. Just a year or two before this illness, my father was packing up a mountain trail for seven miles with his horses. This takes strength and good health to accomplish. He did this 2-3 times a year for his recreation until he suffered the illness caused by paraquat (in my opinion). I wanted to contact my father's nephrologist to see what he thought of my theory, but his has been dealing with cancer of the lung that has now moved to his brain. My father's nephrologist lost his two parents to cancer and were our neighbors. The lived close to the rice fields. As I mentioned, my mother seemed to constantly have the "flu." Eventually she developed liver problems, which turned to malignant liver tumors. In the early 1990's I started studying every possible cause I could think of that might be causing my health problems. Being a very athletic, strong and active person, I couldn't understand why I kept getting so sick. It wasn't until sometime in 2003 that I started looking at the possibility of pesticide exposure. We farmed organically so I really didn't know much about pesticides, but the computer opened doors to information not easily available in the past. Agriculture expanded in our area over time and so did the use of pesticides. The land is very flat and is prone to have high winds. There are about 9 miles of continuous rice fields to the south of my family's property. There are about 500 acres of almond orchard to the north of the property. This makes it possible to have drift from both rice and almonds, depending on which way the wind is traveling. I have reviewed the requirements for farm worker protection when they are applying pesticides, but neighbors have no protections at all, don't know what is being sprayed or when it will be applied. Our tractor was not protected by a cab like the commercial farmers use. We were in the open and exposed to possible toxins in the dust and air. Our food grown for personal use was not protected from possible drift. When we grew kiwis, we sold them as organic, but now I know they were not and that is very upsetting to me. When I left Hawaii in 1988, to return to the farm to help my parents, my lab work was all normal at that time. By April of 1991, I started having elevated protein in my urine. From the records, I was able to get, regarding the protein in my father's urine, it was difficult to determine when his kidney damage began. It was prior to 1996. Since 1988, I have developed hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a sleep disorder, demyelination in the brain, diabetes, periodic rapid heart beat, hypo magnesia, fibromyalgia, cancer of the lip, multiloculated cysts on my left kidney (which was later removed) fibromyalgia and neurological symptoms. I have been to the emergency room 26 times since 1988 and been on disability two different times, had surgery for the kidney cysts twice and currently I receive Social Security disability. A report on the Department of Pesticide Regulation web site indicates that May 1-October 30 are the peak ozone season for pesticide volatile organic compound emissions in three areas of California. My area was not included in the study, but I assume my county is much like the counties studied. Of the 26 visits to the emergency room, fourteen were within the May-October timeline although spraying is done every month by the rice and/or almond growers next to my previous residence. I started State Disability in April of 2001, July of 1997 and August of 1992 and 1998. Social Security disability started in October of 2001. Depending upon the weather, the rice spraying starts as early as March and is mostly done by crop duster. I visited the emergency room 3 times in March and 5 times in April between 1989 and 2006. The worst exposure was the end of June in 2004. I was confused, my legs were visibly twitching, it was difficult to eat, my reflexes were temporarily absent, as well as many other symptoms. I still have discomfort in the kidney and liver area. When I went to the emergency room in July 7, 2004, the doctor mentioned that I had been in the emergency room in February with similar symptoms. When I was able to do the research, I found that some of the same products had been used. It was a mix of 4 products. I talked to the grower and he said he had only had three other problems with this pesticide. One of the incidents had to do with a worker that was taking a drug the courts order for people that get too many DUI's. The grower told me "and he had worked for me for a long time." The poses the question of medication and pesticide mixing. I often think about this worker and wonder how he was able to get through this experience knowing how I felt. I realize he probably didn't have health insurance and he certainly didn't have a job any longer. I have tried to get a review done by the Agricultural Commissioner, Public Health Department, Department of Pesticide Regulation and many physicians. I also went to UC Davis Toxicology Department and found no one to be very helpful or interested in making an incident report. My belief is that no report made means there are no pesticide problems. So now I receive Social Security and Medi-care and Medi-Cal. I had to sell my business and quit my job. I had to move from my family farm in order to live. I have a bankruptcy attorney and pay three times the property taxes since I had to move. It has been a struggle trying to get through this with all the illness. We wonder why health care costs are so high. I have a specialist for each organ affected: heart, liver and gasto, thyroid and diabetes, neurologist, kidney and, of course a primary physician. I came back from Hawaii to help my parents as they aged. I did not want them to go to a nursing home. This part of the story was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. My parents really loved each other and helped each other during the worst of times. My father fed my mother when she came home from her cancer treatment and was unable to lift her arms. Two weeks later he had a heart attack. When he was able to return home, they walked hand-in-hand for short distances. They sacrificed and gave up so many material goods so they could leave property to their two daughters and one son. Both my parents were able to die at home and avoid being in a care home. We became a threesome there for awhile. They helped me through my surgeries and illness, and I helped them through theirs. I have so much more information on the health studies and how it corresponded to pesticides being sprayed at the time. My medical records are always open to research upon request. I really don't want to have anyone experience what my family has been through. I also have correspondence from the Ag Commission and a report made by the County Counsel regarding my complaint. No one has communicated with me to tell me if any actions were taken regarding my concerns. If actions were taken, I have not been told. Thank you again for exploring the drift issue. Jorja Stewart