Potential Pesticide Drift & Wanapum Dam Design Flaw

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

According to a recent Washington State Department of Health report the number of illnesses due to potential pesticide drift has spiked in eastern Washington. The majority of those reporting illness due to pesticide exposure has been primarily orchard workers. The WSDA, Farm Bureau and WSU Extension have all been asked by the Department of Health to help notify licensed pesticide applicators about the problem. Pesticide Compliance Program Manager for the WSDA, Joel Kangiser, says the report is not asking producers to change their operating procedures.

KANGISER: Unless they're being negligent or doing something faulty. It's just saying watch out and make sure you are doing everything the correct way.

Kangiser says there are pesticide education sources available for ag producers.

KANGISER: Through WSU we do pesticide education and recertification course for licenses and the Washington State Department of Agriculture is usually involved with a lot of those presentations and we provide quite a bit of technical assistance through those presentations. We also put out bulletins and technical assistance fliers.

For more information visit the Department of Health or WSDA websites.

The 65 foot long crack that was discovered in the Wanapum Dam, which prompted a reservoir drawdown, has been determined to be due to a mathematical error in the dam's original design calculations in which designers miscalculated the amount of concrete and reinforced steel necessary in the dam's construction to make it resistant to the force of the water continually pushing against it. Repairs are expected to be ongoing throughout the summer. Irrigators who depend on the reservoir have been given permission to extend pipes for water during the growing season.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.