PESTICIDES SPUR WORRIES USE OF FARM CHEMICALS IS AT ALL-TIME HIGH.

Byline: Jennifer Klein Staff Writer

VENTURA - Caroline Carter moved to Ventura three years ago to escape the air pollution of Los Angeles, but soon afterward developed chronic headaches she attributes to pesticides in the air.

She said she had previously been diagnosed with toxic encephalopathy, which she said is a result of having worked with toxic art supplies and leaves her easily confused and no longer able to add or spell.

But despite her ailments, Carter has a driving desire to raise awareness about her problems.

``While I can still talk, I have to speak up,'' Carter said. ``I just fail to understand how they can go blithely on their way. Everyone knows how powerful these chemicals are.''

On Wednesday, Carter was one of three speakers at a press conference in Ventura announcing the release of the San Francisco-based Pesticide Action Network's newest report on statewide pesticide use.

During the past seven years, the number of pounds of active pesticide ingredients used in the state has reached all-time highs at 195 million pounds, the study said. That's a 51 percent increase over 1991, when 129 million pounds was applied.

Ventura County, ranked 11th in the state for agricultural production in 1998, also showed an overall increasing trend of pesticide use.

However, the 1998 figure of 6.56 million pounds of applied pesticides countywide is a slight decrease from 1997, when 6.77 million pounds was applied, the report said.

Margaret Reeves of Pesticide Action Network said an overall drop in pesticide usage countywide can be attributed to the mandated gradual phase-out of methyl bromide, a gaseous fumigant that kills nematodes and harmful organisms in the topsoil.

But Reeves warned that the mandated phase-out, which dictates methyl bromide can no longer be used in the developed world after 2005 because it depletes the ozone, is a false hope.

She said growers are switching to even more toxic alternatives.

Of even more concern Reeves said is the increasing number of ``bad-actor pesticides,'' which include carcinogenic, neurotoxic, reproductive or development toxics, acute poisons and groundwater contaminants.

Ventura County ranked sixth in the state for bad-actor pesticides, with 2.9 million pounds in 1998 an increase from 2.6 million pounds in 1997. However, the county actually reported a drop in the number of carcinogenic pesticides used in 1998, which is attributed to a reduction in methyl bromide use, Reeves said.

Between 1991 and 1995, the numbers steadily increased statewide, hitting a high of 72.5 million pounds for the state. After 1995, the number declined to 63.9 million pounds. But the use of carcinogenic pesticides increased from 1995 to 1998.

The county's most-used pesticide was petroleum oil, which serves as an insecticide. The second-most-used is methyl bromide.

While California has the strictest standards in the country governing pesticide use, environmentalists say they will not be content until the number of pesticides used sinks to zero.

However, Glenn Brank, spokesman for the state Department of Pesticide Regulation, said while the numbers may appear to be high for pesticide use, from 1991 to 1998 there have been a lot of changes in which pesticides are being used.

The use of sulphur dust has increased significantly, but that is mainly because organic growers use it naturally.

``You can make the numbers say whatever you want to,'' said Brank. ``Pounds used does not equate to increased risk. We think rather than do the regulations by the numbers, let's control the impacts."

Susan Johnson, the county's deputy agricultural commissioner, said four of the top pesticides used in the county are organic. She also said it is deceptive to look at the gross poundage of pesticides used in the county because the oils go on at fairly high rates and methyl bromide, which is applied only once a year, is used in high concentrations.

Because pesticides tend to be crop-specific, the pesticides are concentrated in certain areas and the numbers do not reflect a spread across the county. Also methyl bromide is so effective that growers use fewer applications of other pesticides during the year, Johnson said.

PAN's calls for reform include setting phase-out goals for bad-actor pesticides, banning soil fumigants, putting greater priority on transitioning to less toxic pest control methods and allotting more funding for research.

``No farmer wants to use pesticides, but if you talk to most of the farmers out there, they don't see that they have alternatives,'' Reeves said.