STICKY SITUATION

British Chemical Company Abandons Plan Colombia

British chemical company ICI has pulled out of Plan Colombia's
controversial fumigation campaign. The firm was supplying ingredients for
toxic chemicals used in the U.S.-funded aerial spraying of coca- growing
regions, but abandoned the scheme amid health concerns. Local hospitals in
the Putumayo region, where the coca fumigation is taking place, have
reported increases in skin rashes, diarrhea and stomach aches (see "Death
Falls from the Sky," April 30).

ICI was providing the Colombian company Cosmo Agro with gluey soap- like
substances that help herbicides stick to plants. The Colombian government
classes the chemicals made from ICI's ingredients as toxic. ICI's own
materials describe them as "irritants" and warns against inhalation.

U.S. and Colombian authorities have played fast and loose about the
specific chemicals used in the fumigation scheme. In January, the State
Department claimed "the only chemical currently used for aerial eradication
is glyphosate." The U.S. Embassy in Bogota issues the same claim.
Glyphosate, made by Monsanto, is commonly known as Roundup. However, the
chemicals used are actually a toxic brew of Roundup Ultra mixed with Cosmo
Agro's product Cosmo-Flux, a compound that includes ICI chemicals. The
combined chemicals have not been tested for safe use in crop-dusting by the
Environmental Protection Agency or the Colombian Ministry of Health.

ICI stated they were unaware that their chemicals were being sprayed from
airplanes in Colombia and claimed no knowledge of Cosmo Agro. ICI suggested
that there "may be some confusion" with an anti-fungal they sell in
Colombia that is used on banana crops.

However, after an investigation for London's Observer, this author
presented ICI with documents proving the use of their chemicals in the coca
fumigation campaign. The documents were obtained from Cosmo Agro by Elsa
Nivía of the Pesticides Action Network as part of her research into the
safety of the fumigation program.

Following an in-house investigation, in late June the company confirmed
that "Cosmo-Flux has been used as an additive to reduce the amount of
active ingredient used in spraying coca plants and to prevent undesirable
spray drift. However in light of concern about spraying coca plantations,
Cosmo Agro has committed not to sell Cosmo- Flux for this application."

ICI was disparaging about the use of their chemicals in the fumigation
campaign, saying "it doesn't make any sense to us." ICI spokesman John
Edgar claimed "it's the wrong material" for coca eradication, and using it
"seems illogical." Edgar further stated that "Monsanto wouldn't be very
happy" about mixing the chemicals with Roundup as "it doesn't square." He
added, "Somewhere along the line something has gone wrong."

The State Department refused to answer questions about the spraying and
referred In These Times to the U.S. embassies in London and Bogota, where
officials were unavailable for comment as the magazine went to press.

The confusion about the chemicals used in the fumigation campaign, the
curious mix used, and the lack of testing suggests that the crop- dusting
procedure is unorganized, even chaotic. ICI's removal of its chemicals from
the spraying is a particular blow to Plan Colombia's reputation, especially
as the firm has supported military-style fumigations in the past. (ICI
supplied chemicals used to defoliate in present-day Malaysia during the
"Malayan emergency," a British colonial "police action" of the '50s and a
forerunner of the American use of Agent Orange in Vietnam.) However, ICI is
apparently unwilling to tie its corporate reputation to Plan Colombia.

ICI's action is a vindication of Nivía, who has been critical of the use of
Cosmo-Flux in the fumigation. "Toxicological studies do not exist on the
effects of the mixture with herbicides," she says. "The inclusion of these
two additives was decided in an arbitrary way."

It seems that ICI finally came to the same conclusion as the opponents of
Plan Colombia.