Methyl iodide

Methyl iodide is a carcinogenic pesticide manufactured by the Japanese company Arysta LifeScience and sold under the trade name Midas. As a pesticide it is a soil fumigant which is pumped into the ground to kill any soil organisms. It was first approved for use in the U.S. by the EPA during the George W. Bush administration. In 2010, Washington State decided to ban the chemical, which would have been used in nurseries for forest seedlings and on strawberries in the state. However, the major U.S. user of methyl iodide would be California, which is still considering legalization of the chemical.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * California Strawberry Commission

External resources

 * "Methyl Iodide," Pesticide Action Network

External articles

 * Stephanie Paige Ogburn, "Methyl iodide's toxic saga continues," High Country News, August 29, 2011.
 * Jen Quraishi, "California Defied Own Scientists With Pesticide Approval, Mother Jones, August 26, 2011.