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PANUPS: Chlordane/Heptachlor
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P A N U P S
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Pesticide Action Network
North America
Updates Service
http://www.panna.org/panna/
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May 23, 1997
Velsicol Ceases Production of Chlordane and Heptachlor
The Velsicol Chemical Corporation announced last week that it
is permanently ceasing production of the organochlorine
insecticides chlordane and heptachlor at its manufacturing
facility in Memphis, Tennessee, and that it will not make its
proprietary technology available to any other company for
manufacture. The company estimates that it will sell out its
remaining stocks before the end of 1997. Velsicol is the
world's sole producer of these pesticides.
With one exception, chlordane and heptachlor have been
prohibited for all uses in the U.S. since 1987 (heptachlor is
used to kill fire ants in cable boxes). However, Velsicol has
continued to produce the pesticides for export. U.S. customs
data show that at least 4,472,000 pounds of chlordane and
5,696,000 pounds of heptachlor were exported from the U.S.
between 1991 and 1994 (these numbers may far understate the
true quantities, since approximately 75% of pesticide exports
go unnamed in customs records).
According to Velsicol, both pesticides are used primarily for
termite control in wooden structures and as soil insecticides
in tropical regions worldwide. The company stated that over
the last few years the products have been used for major road
building projects in Africa, for "protection of residential
structures," in Northeastern Australia and Asia and for crop
protection in South America.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies
chlordane and heptachlor as "probable human carcinogens."
They have also been linked with endocrine disruption, and
they can persist in the environment for decades. One or both
of these chemicals are banned or severely restricted in at
least 70 countries.
In addition, chlordane and heptachlor are included on a list
of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that have been
identified by the United Nations Environment Programme for
possible international phaseouts on their production and use.
POPs are subject to long-range global transport and are
highly persistent, semi-volatile, highly toxic and liable to
bioaccumulate. Both pesticides are currently included under
the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure, an international
program designed to notify governments about (and give them
an opportunity to prevent) certain hazardous pesticide
imports. PIC is currently voluntary, but governments are
negotiating to make the procedure a legally binding
instrument (the third International Negotiating Meeting on
PIC will meet in Geneva, May 26-30, 1997).
In addition to problems stemming from use of these
pesticides, the company's production practices have resulted
in their release into the air and water surrounding its
manufacturing plant in Tennesee, and the company is
responsible for creating three sites on EPA's Superfund
National Priorities lists of waste sites federally mandated
for clean up due to environmental contamination. Numerous
individuals have filed suits against the company for the
contamination of their homes from the insecticides, and
Congress between 1990 and 1992 deliberated legislation to ban
their export.
Despite widespread international recognition that chlordane
and heptachlor pose serious health and environmental risks,
Velsicol's president and CEO, Arthur Sigel, said in the
company's announcement, "we have always believed in the
efficacy of these products, and the science that supports
their continued use, but the economics no longer support
continued manufacture." Sandra Marquardt, Program Director at
Mothers & Others for a Liveable Planet and longtime advocate
for a ban on the export of banned pesticides, stated that
"Velsicol's production of these insidious insecticides has
left us with a toxic legacy that will persist for decades to
come. This decision should have been made decades ago."
The decision is a victory for PAN's Dirty Dozen Campaign.
Since 1985, the Dirty Dozen Campaign has sought to eliminate
certain highly hazardous chemicals, including chlordane and
heptachlor.
Sources: "Developmental Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting
Chemicals in Wildlife and Humans," Environmental Health
Perspectives, Vol. 101, No. 5, October 1993; "Exporting
Banned and Hazardous Pesticides, 1991 Statistics," 1992,
Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education
(FASE);"Exporting Risk," FASE Research Report, Spring 1996;
Mothers & Others for a Liveable Planet (M&O) Press Release,
May 15, 1997; Sandra Marquardt, M&O, personal communication,
May 15, 1997; PANNA Dirty Dozen Chart 1995; PANNA Dirty Dozen
Fact Sheets, 1990; Global Pesticide Campaigner (GPC), June
1996; GPC, September 1996; Velsicol Press Release, May 15,
1997.
Contact: PANNA
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