Farmers say wind spread the chemical to cropland after it was sprayed to control cheat grass and other noxious weeds on federal ground following wildfires last August.

Even farmers miles from the area sprayed are complaining about crop damage, and the state Department of Agriculture, the bureau and Oust manufacturer DuPont are taking samples up to five miles from the burned area.

Soil samples taken from a one-quarter-mile radius of farmland adjacent to a 20,000-acre area confirmed the presence of the chemical used by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Some estimates of losses have reached as high as $100 million, said Charlie Barnes, agriculture field representative for U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson.

Up to 38,000 acres of crops could be affected in eastern Jerome County and western Minidoka County with affected fields tainted for possibly the next two or three years, said grower Dan Schaeffer.

The damaged fields could have an even longer-lasting effect on the community's economy, said Leland Snyder, co-owner of Snyder's Paul Automotive.

Tremendous losses in rollover revenue -- far beyond the loss farmers sustain -- could affect the entire community, Snyder said. Money farmers normally generate will not roll around in the community, which will affect everything from grocery stores and parts stores to employment, he said.

"Will they compensate for the damage even though it can't be measured?" Snyder asked, referring to the responsible party, be it BLM or DuPont. "There are a lot of victims that may not be able to prove the extent of their damage."

Perry Meuleman, president of the Idaho Sugar Beet Growers Association, agrees with Snyder.

"It could have a terrible effect," Meuleman said.

Compensation needs to be fair and quick, he added. Lending institutions are not going to let the grower slide on the

possibility of a settlement, Meuleman said.

Compensation should be made the same way compensation for a bad car accident is made, where other problems such as stress are compensated in addition to direct damage, Snyder said. State and federal legislators should be involved, he added.

"If there is any hesitation they should jump in and make sure it happens," he said. "They put down a chemical. Are they going to pay my community for damage?"

Meuleman agreed that it might take congressional action.

But Bob Spencer, program manager for the Idaho Department of Agriculture, said the problem is of such a magnitude that it could take months to complete testing. Legislators can't act until they fully have a handle on the problem,

he said.

"We have to rule out other causes with similar symptoms," he said. "Where do you draw this line?"

The lab is working to determine what areas are truly impacted, Spencer said. In the meantime barley, which is scheduled to be harvested in three weeks, might have to be stored until determinations can be made as to whether food safety and health issues are affected, he said.

Snyder said he, like many in the community, is concerned about the health implications of the windblown chemical.

"There was a wall of dirt a hundred feet high stretching across the horizon," Snyder said.

Oust was not designed to be used on food crops and it is not known what potential risks it presents to health, Spencer said,

DuPont is working to provide that information, he said.

Legislators have also been involved to a certain extent. U.S. Sen. Larry Craig convinced BLM to stop using Oust at least until the situation becomes clearer.

Though farmers and people in the community have expressed concerns they have been told it will take a while before determinations are made.

"Any time you work with a government agency, it takes a while to work through the red tape," Schaeffer said.

Neither the Bureau nor DuPont have yet indicated a willingness to take responsibility, he said. But he praised their efforts so far.

"They've done everything I could expect from them," he said but added he will push for some kind of reimbursement.

Reimbursement could be necessary because of the possibility of lost production, Meuleman said.

"If production falls, there will be a higher cost per unit, which will come back in unit retain," he said. Unit retain is money from the crop that is reinvested in the co-op.

"When production falls below a certain level, somebody has to make up the difference," Meuleman said.

Weekly meetings to try to determine facts in the situation are being held at the Burley Amalgamated office.

The meetings involve growers, and representatives from DuPont, BLM and others. Participation is by invitation only, at this point, said John Schorr, ag manager at the Amalgamated Sugar factory in Paul.

"I think it is going to move along the way it needs to be moved along," Schorr said.

But it's not moving along fast enough for farmers, Meuleman said.