Chairman Defends Toxic Chemical Control Board

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Thursday, 13 September 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John's - Chairman of the Pesticides & Toxic Chemical Control Board Dr Malvern Spencer has denied that the agency has made deliberate attempts to block the use of an antibiotic that would limit the effects of the Lethal Yellowing disease here.

"We are not putting up resistance. We have tried our best to facilitate it," Dr Spencer said.

"All that we're saying is any agency dealing with this have to show they have competence, meaning someone has to be trained to administer and apply the chemical and once we have that we are fine with it."

The Antigua Hotels & Tourists Association has complained that bureaucratic red tape has limited attempts by its members to use Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride (OTC) amid fears the antibiotic could contaminate the coconut fruit, which is used in the Antiguan diet.

However, Dr Spencer said the board fast tracked the system to have OCT registered in July as a restricted use pesticide.

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He noted that this was necessary to ensure that any persons seeking to access it have the capabilities to apply it.

"You have to make sure you control it as well as the amount that comes in, because we don't want to have obsolete pesticides. There are also health risks," he said.

The chairman identified the lack of regulations as being a significant constraint in properly dealing with such chemicals.

"All these things are spoken to in law but there are regulations to accompany the Act to let you  know how to carry it out. If we don't have those regulations and if there's a legal challenge it may be difficult to defend, and it is being worked on now," he said.

The Act was passed in 2008 and took effect about two years ago.

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