Amendment to record of decision for USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region final environmental impact statement : managing competing and unwanted vegetation

22 Pages·1992·1.9 MB·English

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
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Managing Competing
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March 1992
Final Environmental Impact Statement
Amendment to 1988 Record of Decision
DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE
NATIONAL, AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY
JUN 2 | 1995
CATALOGING PREF

Amendment
to
Record of Decision
for
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Region
Final Environmental Impact Statement
Managing Competing and Unwanted Vegetation
February 1992

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
Background
The Record of Decision (ROD) of December 8, 1988, for the Final Environmental
Impact Statement for Managing Competing and Unwanted Vegetation includes
mitigation measures to reduce the human health risks associated with vegetation
treatment methods. Three mitigation measures in the ROD prohibit women from
performing certain herbicide applications because potential risks of
gender-specific health effects from direct contact exceeded levels identified
by the Forest Service as acceptable risks.
On March 20, 1991, the U.S. Supreme Court decided International Union v.
Johnson Controls, Inc., 111 S.Ct. 1196 (1991). The Supreme Court concluded
that an employer is prohibited from discriminating against a woman because of
her capacity to become pregnant, unless her reproductive potential prevents her
from performing the duties of her job. The Forest Service has determined that
the three mitigation measures from the Record of Decision appear to be
inconsistent with this Supreme Court ruling.
Purpose of This Amendment
This amendment to the 1988 ROD removes the gender-specific mitigation measures
to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling. This amendment adds nine, new
mitigation measures to avert potential risks to human health that could occur
because the gender-specific measures are no longer in effect.
This amendment changes how the Pacific Northwest Region protects workers from
gender-specific health effects, while protecting them from discrimination in
employment. No other provisions of the selected alternative for the Regional
program, Alternative H, or the ROD are changed.
No provisions of the Mediated Agreement are affected by revoking
gender-specific worker restrictions. (The "Mediated Agreement" is a legal
document signed by parties to the lawsuit under which the Forest Service had
been enjoined since 1984 from applying herbicides in the Pacific Northwest
Region. Under the agreement, the parties jointly moved the court to dissolve
the injunction and dismiss the complaint against the Forest Service with
prejudice, and the Forest Service agreed to comply with additional requirements
for implementing the ROD.)
THE ACTION
As indicated in Appendix A, gender-specific worker restrictions will be removed
from the mitigation measures for vegetation management projects listed in the
ROD, page 19. The mitigation measures being removed are:
-- Female workers (either Forest Service employees or contract workers)
will not be used as mixers or loaders in atrazine or bromacil
applications.
Page 2
Female workers (either Forest Service employees or contract workers )
will not be used in backpack spray or hack-and-squirt operations
involving the application of 2,4-D, glyphosate, dicamba, tebuthiuron,
triclopyr, simazine, or bromacil.
Female workers (either Forest Service employees or contract workers)
will not be used in dalapon applications.
In addition, the footnote on page 19 of the ROD will be removed. The revised
footnote, with gender-specific language eliminated, is now mitigation measure
#1.
As a part of this action, nine new mitigation measures will be added:
#1-- Research studies, including both laboratory studies of animals and
studies of human populations, demonstrate the potential for
gender-specific adverse health effects of glyphosate, dicamba,
tebuthiuron, triclopyr, simazine, bromacil, atrazine, 2,4-D, and
dalapon. Any employees not wanting exposure to these herbicides will
be given alternate work assignments that do not involve direct contact
with herbicides. There are many assignments, even in herbicide
operations, which do not involve direct contact with herbicides.
#2-- The herbicide dalapon will not be used unless its registration is
restored by the EPA.
#3--
Each worker on herbicide application projects, whether Forest Service
employee or contract employee, shall be informed of any known
potential human health effects of the specific herbicides to be used
prior to starting the project. Each worker will be provided with a
copy of the "Methods Information Profile for Herbicides" and the
relevant "Herbicide Information Profiles" produced by the Pacific
Northwest Region. Prior to beginning the project, each worker shall
sign a statement indicating that she or he has reviewed the material,
and either agrees to work on the project as assigned, or requests a
reassignment.
#--
All herbicide application projects shall have available at the work
site a permanent or portable eyewash unit and other washing facilities
with a supply of uncontaminated water and soap sufficient to wash
hands as required and the entire body in the event of accidental
contact with herbicides.
#5--
All workers should have a complete change of clothes available at the
work site in case of accidental exposure to herbicides. A complete
set of clean clothes should be worn daily.