23
Jun
California Officials Cancel Aerial Spraying
(Beyond Pesticides, June 23, 2008) California state officials abruptly cancelled the program to spray pesticides to combat the light brown apple moth (LBAM). This move came after months of protests by residents over concerns that the chemicals in the pheromone-based pesticide may adversely impact their health and the environment.California’s Agriculture Secretary, A.G. Kawamura, announced on Thursday that the state has abandoned its plan for aerial spraying of the light brown apple moth in urban areas of several counties, including the San Francisco Bay area. However, sprayings may still proceed on farmland in rural areas. Officials also stated that they would not spray over communities near farms.
“I know there’s concern out there, and we want to be able to address that,” Secretary Kawamura told reporters. “Our focus is to use the technology that has moved progressively forward.”
Instead of spraying, the state said that it would keep moth populations under control by releasing sterile moths to halt reproduction by rendering eggs useless. Apparently the use of sterile moth as a means of population control has been a part of the state’s plans for more than a year. It is not clear therefore why aerial spraying was so heavily advocated by state officials, but Secretary Kawamura noted that the state’s change of plans comes about because of “new science” and not over concerns about the environment.
This decision is viewed as a victory for many environmental activists and communities of Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Alameda, Solano and Santa Barbara. Protests over the spraying began after about 487 people reported feeling symptoms ranging from itchy eyes to breathing trouble after planes dusted a fine chemical mist over the area surrounding Monterey and Santa Cruz last fall.
State environmental health experts insisted that the illnesses reported could not conclusively be linked to the initial round of aerial sprayings. Despite this, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to delay continued aerial spraying, vowing to prove that the chemical was safe.
A lawsuit against the state was filed, citing that Secretary Kawamura broke state law by authorizing the aerial campaign without the benefit of an environmental review to determine the spray’s effect on people and the environment. In April, a California Court ruled that the light brown apple moth was not an immediate threat and delayed aerial spraying so that an environmental impact report was completed (See Daily News of April 28 and May 14, 2008).
“Wahoo! This is a landmark victory for the public,” said David Dilworth, executive director of Helping Our Peninsula’s Environment (HOPE). “People had to spend thousands and thousands of hours of high-level work to get a bureaucracy to do the obviously moral choice.”
The light brown apple moth, which federal officials say threatens more than 2,000 varieties of California plants and crops, was first spotted in the state in March 2007 and has infested ten counties stretching from north of San Francisco to Santa Barbara. Officials planned to use the pesticide, CheckMate LBAM-F which works as a pheromone that disrupts the mating cycle of the moth. Uncertainties about so-called inert or undisclosed ingredients, included in many pesticide formulations, were a serious concern.
Source: Associated Press
Wahoo- it is a victory for the public so far. CDFA still threatens to use toxic twist ties, eight foot tree splattering, ground spraying of worse pesticide spray. The court stopped because the CDFA and USDA admitted there has been NO CROP DAMAGE to date! (They’re guessing what it might do.) Scientists found the moth to actually be here 30-50 years. They sprayed us several nights for 2 months with an untested sythenthic pheromone pesticide cocktail with hidden inert ingredients. 643 People filled out a form that got sick. The health department would not help us. No one yet has contacted the 643 people to fill out the OEH 700 form they want. Many more hundreds of people were sick. Birds died, bees died, animals sick. We were told to shut our doors and windows at 8pm. We are cities by the ocean, we do not have farms. People were vomiting, couldn’t breathe, metal taste in our mouths. Then we found the spray was delivered in micro plastic capusles that released the spray slowing for 30 to 60 days! It’s not right. No one from California EPA, OEHHA, Hazmat, DPR has arrived to help. Strengthen the laws to halt this. The emergency which bypassed the E.I.R. (Environmental Impact Report)gave USDA and CDFA millions of dollars to spray the people of American with an untested chemical. YOU could be next. Have you legislators and senators make laws to help the people. We are better now, and our backyard birds have returned. Monterey County and Santa Cruz County Thanks for listening.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:46 amFollow the money, if you want to know why the spraying was needed.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:24 am