For the editor:
I was out of town and mostly out of internet reach for much of last summer and early fall.
I have come back to be asked by citizens of Stockbridge what I think of Jim Balfanz’s letter to The edge of Berkshire in which he called me lacking “credibility”. According to Balfanz, my “credibility” is in question because in a letter I wrote to this publication regarding the Stockbridge Bowl Association’s lawsuit against the town of Stockbridge, the Conservation Commission and its individual members, I used the words “think Agent Orange”. I was “generally” referring to defoliating chemicals and their components as being toxic to humans.
Credible or not, the mention was to give readers an idea of what “defoliants” are. Agent Orange is familiar to most, and as you’ll see below, some of its components actually made it into the Stockbridge Bowl.
In response to this accusation by Balfanz, I enlisted a meticulous researcher who sits on our Conservation Commission – a certain Thomas Labelle. His email is below. The details below outline what was dumped into the bowl before townspeople were told about these chemicals and compounds:
John,
Always happy to oblige.
Here is the list of herbicides used in the Bowl between 1960 and
- A total of 38,800 pounds of granular pesticides and 21,753 gallons
liquid pesticides were used during these years.
A total of 38,800 pounds of granular pesticides and 21,753 gallons
liquid pesticides were used during these years.
GRANULAR PESTICIDES
Breakdown of individual chemicals used:
Granular 2.4-D – 20,300 lbs.
Copper sulphate 5,000 lbs.
Malachite – 2,500 pounds.
Citrine G – 7,000 lbs.
Aquazine – 4,000 lbs.
LIQUID PESTICIDES
Breakdown of individual chemicals used:
20,600 gallons of sodium arsenate
842 gallons of Silvex
185 gallons of Aquathol-K
126 gallons of hydrothol-47
ANNUAL SALARY PER YEAR
Year Chemicals Used Amount Applied
1960 Sodium Arsenate 1100 gal
1961 Sodium Arsenate 5500 gal
1964 2.4-0 Granular 300 lb
1965 2.4-0 Granular 20,000 lbs.
1966 Copper sulphate 2500 pounds
1967 Sodium Arsenate 3000 gal
1968 Sodium Arsenate 3000 gal
1969 Sodium Arsenate 8000 gal
1969 Copper sulphate 2500 pounds
1970 Malachite 2500 pounds
1972 Silvex (Kuron) 389 gallon
1972 Aquatol-K 33 gallon
1972 Hydrothol – 47,126 gal
1974 Silvex (Kuron) 104 gallon
1974 Aquathol – K 152 gal
1974 Citrine G 7000 pounds
1976 Silvex (Kuron) 149 gallon
1976 Aquazine 4000 pounds
1977 Silv.ex (Kuron) 200 gal
(SOURCE: “The Fugro Report” 1996)
Note that in 1972, 1974 and 1976 a cocktail of poisons was used
unlike previous years where we relied on a single pesticide
only. This is more dangerous because the chemicals can interact in
unpredictable ways, producing new and unexpected compounds.
OFFICER ORANGE
There are two active ingredients in Agent Orange: 2,4-D which has been
used in Stockbridge Bowl, and 2,4,5-T which is the chemical that made
Agent Orange so deadly to humans. This last chemical, 2,4,5-T,
contains traces of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, a compound
known to cause a wide range of cancers in humans. This chemical,
however, was NOT used in Stockbridge Bowl. So Balfanz was right in
saying that Agent Orange was not used in the bowl, although one could say
that a component of Agent Orange has been used for 2 years.
I agree that your statement was not entirely accurate, but
taking into account the assortment of chemicals actually used and the quantities
that should be pretty scary.
I hope this helps you,
Tom LaBelle
In these days of “Google” and in order to restore some semblance of my credibility discredited by Balfanz, I encourage anyone reading the above list of chemicals to “Google” them individually and decide for themselves if my credibility decried is still in question. .
John H. Hart
Stockbridge
