Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party begins assult on Minnesota Farmers!!

Irony still running rampant at the Minnesota Capital in St. Paul!!

DFL Party turns on the consonant "F" in their acronym now that they are in the majority. "L" remains nervous and watchful.

Associated Press
Last update: March 3, 2008 - 10:31 AM

Ken Tschumper, DFL-La Crescent, is trying to change that with a bill that would create a public database of pesticides applied in the state. The bill has been in the Legislature for years, but Tschumper said it has more support this year.

The Environment and Natural Resources Committee takes up the bill this week.

"The bill is not that onerous. Pesticide applicators have to keep track of every application of pesticide they do," Tschumper said. "All we're simply saying is that data, that information, needs to be made public."

About half of the states have similar laws.

For example, a farmer would track how much pesticide is used, when and where it is used, as well as the wind speed and temperature at the time. All of that information would go onto a Department of Agriculture database.

Under Tschumper's Pesticide Right to Know bill, a farmer would also have to notify neighbors if more volatile chemicals are going to be used.

"The applicators have to give some sort of advanced notice — like a day or two ahead of time when they're going to apply these pesticides, so that the public can be aware of that and protect themselves if there is spray drift, for example," Tschumper said.

Spray drift is illegal, but enforcement is based on complaints.