Say NO to Bay Area Aerial Fumigation Without Consent!

I don't normally post petitions but this is pretty appalling. Please sign this if you do not want cancer-causing pesticides sprayed in various parts of the greater Bay Area. Thanks!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-fumi...t-in-california

Here are my comments:

# 5,039:
I am already sick with a chronic illness, and I have spent the worst few months of my life just trying to survive. Research shows that pesticides cause cancer and other chronic illnesses in adults and children. I strongly oppose the use of cancer-causing chemicals, especially without my consent.

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"Hilary S., Care2 Action alerts" wrote:
Subject: LOCAL alert: Aerial Pesticide Spraying in Campbell
From: "Hilary S., Care2 Action alerts"
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:57:31 -0800 (PST)


Say NO to Bay Area Aerial Fumigation Without Consent!

Starting as early as June, airplanes will begin spraying pesticides untested for human health safety over Bay Area cities to eradicate the Light Brown Apple Moth. Monterey and Santa Cruz counties have already been sprayed once.

Stop the planes before they spray again and spread to other Bay Area counties.

PLEASE spread the word! Tell your neighbors about the threat and urge them to sign this petition!
Hi Pamela,

The SF Chronicle just announced that a pesticide untested for human health safety will be sprayed over our Bay Area homes this summer in an attempt to eradicate the Light Brown Apple Moth. (Read the article)

Already, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties have been sprayed and hundreds of citizens have reported health problems. Please tell your neighbors to sign this petition protesting the aerial fumigation of Bay Area residents.

Truly horrifying is that, according to StopTheSpray.org, the pesticides currently used (CheckMate OLR-F and LBAM-F) have only undergone short-term tests on rats and rabbits. The manufacturer states, "Long-term studies on the active ingredients have not been done, however, no adverse effects expected."

Although the pesticide label reads, "Harmful if inhaled. Avoid breathing vapor or spray mist," the Mercury News reported that people were out walking in Santa Cruz when the planes started spraying.

Government agencies approving the plan admit that the pesticide could pose a threat to some people, stating "not all health effects can be predicted and because the general population includes susceptible (people), such as children, the elderly and those with chronic diseases, we cannot provide a definitive cause for their symptoms [experienced after the spraying in Santa Cruz and Monterey]."

Sprayings over San Francisco are expected to begin Aug. 1 and other areas to be sprayed as early as June include Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, and Daly City, Colma, Oakland, Piedmont, Emeryville, Albany, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Tiburon and Belvedere.

Stop the government from spraying citizens with pesticides without consent! Sign this petition and be sure to tell your friends:
http://go.care2.com/e/.ah9/txYl/o3c4



Hilary Stamper
Care2 and ThePetitionSite

P.S. State and local agricultural officials will "explain the Light Brown Apple Moth eradication program and address any concerns" in a series of meetings on the coast and across the Bay Area. Below are listed a few meetings coming up in the next two weeks:

Half Moon Bay: 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19 the Train Depot,
110 Higgins Canyon Road, Half Moon Bay.

Monterey: 6-8 p.m. Wednesday Feb. 20
Monterey Peninsula College,
Lecture Forum 103, 980 Fremont St., Monterey

Santa Cruz: 6-8 p.m. Thursday Feb. 21
University Inn & Conference Center,
Sierra & Dawn Room, 611 Ocean St., Santa Cruz

San Francisco: 6 - 8 p.m. Mon, Feb 25
9th Avenue & Lincoln Way San Francisco

Oakland: 6:30 - 7:30pm Tue, Feb 26
1515 Clay St, Oakland


Care2.com, Inc.
275 Shoreline Drive, Suite 300
Redwood City, CA 94065
http://www.care2.com


This post has been edited by mobyfan on Feb 18 2008, 08:09 PM

I'm not really sure why they're spraying pesticide during the day in Santa Cruz when people are out. Do we know when the pesticide spraying is scheduled for Santa Clara County? I remember that they did all the mosquito spraying last summer late at night/early in the morning when most people were home in bed. As far as I know, very few ill effects were reported for that.

It should be said that the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) is a serious pest. If it's not eradicated, it could do serious damage to California farms, which are very important to our economy.

You can read about the LBAM on Wikipedia here

QUOTE

It attacks nearly all types of fruit crops, ornamentals, vegetables, glasshouse crops, and occasionally young pine seedlings...The larvae cause significant damage to foliage and fruit. Early instars feed on tissue beneath the upper epidermis (surface layer) of leaves, while protected under self-constructed silken webs on the undersurface of leaves. Larger larvae migrate from these positions to construct feeding niches between adjacent leaves, between a leaf and a fruit, in the developing bud, or on a single leaf, where the leaf roll develops. The late stage larvae feed on all leaf tissue except main veins.

I believe that what they're spraying is technically the pheromone of the female LBAM and it's supposed to confuse the male moths and keep them from breeding.

There was a program devoted to this topic on KQED this morning. A recording of it will be available on their website soon:
http://www.kqed.org/programs/radio/forum/

If this is a concern, why are we not talking to City, County officials to hear what their take is? They are the ones who represent us on these decisions. Do the City or County officials care more about the agriculture than the worker bees in their districts? I don't think so. They should have a stand on the subject.

I just saw the comments as I never got the email notification. I'm curious to know how this affects private vegetable gardens that were previously organic. I have potted herbs that I remembered to take inside at 11 pm, which is the time they said they would start spraying on June 11, so I might have been too late and inadvertently gotten sprayed. I love how we got a flyer notifying us about it just a few days prior. There was an informational meeting the day before the spraying, so basically there was no time to people to protest. I just realized that I also have a rosemary bush that is planted in the ground, so I wasn't able to bring it inside. Would covering it in plastic have helped?

This is the website for the County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health, Vector Control District (geez, that's a mouthful):

http://www.sccvector.org/portal/site/vector/

According to the FAQs on the website, the spray dissipates in a few hours but I'm not so sure.

http://www.sccgov.org/SCC/docs/Vector Control District (DIV)/attachments/Fogging FAQs.pdf

Oops, the above link to www.sccvector.org was actually for mosquitoes infected with the West Nile Virus. But my question about saving organic gardens from fumigation still stands.

Just saw this article in Friday's paper.
California officials stop aerial spraying for moths
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9645376?IADI...mercurynews.com

So they are spraying for West Nile virus AGAIN. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time in several months. The last time was June 11, just over a month ago.

Wednesday, July 23rd at 11 pm

www.sccvector.org

I find it extremely wasteful that they put the flyers on our doorstep enclosed IN A PLASTIC BAG. The flyer itself should be enough.

NOTE: If you agree, I've written an email template to send to the SCC Vector folks (Manager and Assistant Manager). If enough people comment, maybe they will stop being so wasteful.

timothy.mulligan@deh.co.santa-clara.ca.us
russell.parman@deh.co.santa-clara.ca.us

Email addresses from:
http://www.sccvector.org/portal/site/vecto...path=/v7/Vector Control District (DIV)/About the District/District Staff&contentId=52d45ab116c34010VgnVCMP230004adc4a92____


Hi Tim and Russ,

I appreciate the updates on the fogging but just wanted to let you know I think putting the flyers in plastic bags seems a bit unnecessary and wasteful. I don't think most people are aware that plastic is a petroleum product. Since gas is at a shortage and plastic bags are a big environmental problem, I hope you consider doing away with the plastic bags. Thank you for your time.

Best regards,
[Your Name Here]


This post has been edited by mobyfan on Jul 21 2008, 05:23 PM