ENVIRONMENT -- BUSH ADMINISTRATION STOCKPILING BANNED PESTICIDE: Methyl bromide has been banned for almost two years under the U.N. Montreal Protocol, a pact designed to stop the thinning of the ozone layer. But according to newly available public documents, the United States has been stockpiling millions of pounds of the pesticide. Methyl bromide is "a highly toxic gas used to sterilize soil and kill pests, [and] is considered the most powerful ozone destroyer currently in large-scale use." Loss of ozone increases the risk of skin cancer, cataracts, slow blindness, and reduces ecosystem diversity. While the United States receives an annual exemption to use the chemical at farms whose crops are deemed "critical," under the treaty, nations are allowed to produce more only if "methyl bromide is not available in sufficient quantity and quality from existing stocks." The Los Angeles Times notes, "In 2004, nearly 29 million pounds were stockpiled by U.S. chemical companies, but the Bush administration received permission from the United Nations to produce an additional 17 million pounds that year, according to newly released EPA data. That amounts to twice as much as U.S. farmers needed last year." David Doniger of the Natural Resources Defense Council said "there's absolutely no justification for having a huge inventory" of methyl bromide when the Montreal Protocol says all nations "should have as little on hand as possible" -- a couple of months' worth.
So for what purpose would Bushco have for securing more than 46 million pounds of this stuff???
