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15th Annual OSC Readiness Training Program

Pesticide Response Case Study

Module 6Kathy Halbur

OSC, Region 5

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Pesticide Response Case Study WI farmer suspected of poisoning wildlife

with Carbofuran (Cancelled pesticide) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lead agency

WI Dept of Natural Resources and U.S. EPA support agencies

USFWS obtained search warrants for evidence raid (seven warrants) One day (5/12/10) to

collect as much evidence as possible

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Pesticide Response Case Study US EPA CID requested OSC & START

assistance with the warrant execution Overall Site health & safety Sampling of unknown chemicals Sampling of bait piles Overpacking of carbofuran Overpacking of bait piles Documentation T&D assistance Evidence for a criminal vs civil prosecution

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Pesticide Response Case Study 8,000 acres

Potato farm Heavily wooded

8 buildings Multiple residences 14 bait piles ~100 officials

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Pesticide Response Case Study Three Teams

Chemical Team – Farm Buildings & Residences• Levels B & C• Two START & OSC • CID, USFWS, WDNR

Bait Pile Team – Woods• Level C & D• Four START• CID, USFWS, WDNR

Dead Animal Collection – Sitewide• WDNR Wardens

One START overall Health & Safety Over 50 number of samples collected

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Chemical Team

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Bait Pile Team

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Pesticide Response Case Study Issues:

Authority• Warrants issued under US FWS authority• CID: FIFRA• Not considered a CERCLA Site

Extremely secretive• Investigation since 2007• WDNR Warden undercover• Prominent property owner

Time constraints Evidentiary procedures Property owner and farm staff present

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Pesticide Response Case Study Issues (continued)

No pesticide expertise• DATCP purposely excluded• CID & OSC – very limited FIFRA knowledge

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Much Smaller Scale, but Similar… Bait poisoning in Baraga, MI (4/09) Blue crystals unknown

Improperly identified by Hazmat Team as copper phthalocyanine

Analytical identified as Methomyl

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KENYA LIONS KILL BY CARBOFURAN BAITING

Pesticide abuse is not just a problem in the USA. 5 min video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLaLUyH4-vo

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DISCUSSION…