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Department of Ecology News Release - November 4, 2009
09-263
OLYMPIA – Anyone who has walked Washington’s coastal beaches knows that high tide can deposit an array of garbage and debris from the Pacific Ocean.
The Washington departments of Agriculture and Ecology (Ecology) continue to work to keep an unwelcome object off state shores – metal canisters that once held aluminum phosphide, a potent fumigant used to control insects. The departments work closely on the issue with fumigation companies, grain exporters and shippers, shipping agents and port officials.
From spring 2008 through early 2009, about 65 empty canisters were spotted or picked up along the Washington coastline from the Long Beach peninsula to Port Angeles. That includes Olympic National Park wilderness beaches.
Some canisters still contained residual amounts of aluminum phosphide. When the chemical is exposed to air it becomes a toxic gas that poses a human health risk.
“We asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a model that would give us a better idea where these canisters might be coming from,” said Ecology Spills Program Manager Dale Jensen. “The results strongly indicate the likely source is the cargo ships exporting bulk grain to Pacific Rim nations. These ships are loading grain at terminals on the Columbia River as well as Grays Harbor, Puget Sound and British Columbia.”
Jensen said aluminum phosphide is commonly placed in the holds of ships to control insects and protect the $4 billion of corn, oats, soybeans, wheat and other grains shipped across the Pacific.
The chemical typically comes in pellet or tablet form inside plastic-capped aluminum canisters. Licensed applicators put the canisters in a ship’s storage hold, where the fumigant gas, phosphine, is released to kill insects in the cargo.
“Our goal is to raise awareness that these canisters must be properly handled and disposed of – whether the vessel is outbound from a Washington port or a foreign ship in-bound with cargo. This will help ensure the canisters stay out of our waters, off our beaches and protect the public,” said Cliff Weed, manager for the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s pesticide compliance program.
If anyone finds a canister, Ecology’s spills and hazardous materials response team offers this advice:
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Media Contacts:
Curt Hart, Ecology media relations, 360-407-6990; cell, 360-480-7908 (curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)
Mike Louisell, Agriculture media relations, 360-902-1813 (mlouisell@agr.wa.gov)
Information about aluminum phosphide canisters: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/ocean_shores/ocean_shores.html
Agriculture’s Web site: www.agr.wa.gov
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
