California: Governor signs bill to fund spraying of pesticides

Despite growing evidence of the damages from pesticides, Gov. Davis of California signs multi-million dollar bill to spray pesticides for the benefit of wine grower.

Spraying of carbaryl (Sevin) will commence immediately (is Union Carbide going for a second Bophal?)

(This should make New York's malathion spraying look like a picnic. Fresno, Porterville will be sprayed the week of June 26th - can anyone stop this madness?)

ADDITIONAL MILLIONS COULD FUND SPRAYING OF LORSBAN ALL OVER THE STATE TO KILL A LEAFHOPPER INSECT (GLASSYWINGED SHARPSHOOTER).

LORSBAN = CHLORPYRIFOS = ORGANOPHOSPHATE HIGHLY TOXIC PESTICIDE NRDC WANTS BANNED

This funding, potentially for chemical and bioengineering methods targeting a leafhopper, is now in the California state legislature budget process as an urgency measure. THERE'S ALSO A PLAN TO HANDSPRAY IN BACKYARDS IF "BAD BUGS" ARE FOUND THERE.

$6.9 million is already signed, sealed and to be delivered in a week or so per SB 671 (Chesbro). Potential matching funds may come from the Feds.

But the wine industry is looking for another $6.9 million-or more (MAYBE $10 MILLION)-FROM the budget process, going on NOW. A budget (conference) committee will finalize the deal TODAY.

JOIN US TO OPPOSE GOVERNMENT FUNDED LORSBAN SPRAY AND ALLOCATION OF ADDITIONAL MILLIONS FOR PIERCE'S DISEASE CONTROL. Background and our recommendations and position follow.

Please FAX the Governor and Conference Committee IMMEDIATELY (FAX is most effective), and oppose the further appropriation of money for chemicals and bioengineering. Refer to Conference Committee item number 85700010001, issue 90, Pierce's Disease Control.

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A California Department of Agriculture project on Pierce's Disease control included spraying Temecula citrus groves with Lorsban, the commercial name for the broad-spectrum organophosphate chlorpyrifos, a neurotoxin that the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) and others want banned (Dursban = Lorsban = chlorpryifos). The citrus trees have also been fed Imidacloprid, (brand name Admire) in irrigation water.

Additional monies are being considered for Pierce's Disease control in vineyards. The California Governor has already signed SB 671, allocating $6.9 million to the wine industry specifically for Pierce's Disease control. The Legislature is divided as to whether to give them MORE MONEY in the budget. The issue goes to conference committee immediately to reconcile differences.

CA Senate Budget subcommittee negotiators abandoned, as a condition for funding Pierce's Disease work plans, application of the CA Public Resources Code sections 21000 (and following)-which requires accountability to the public. The potential for adverse Environmental and Public Health impact is too high. Proposed CA Senate restrictions are watered down and depend on regulatory agencies that are notoriously lax regarding pesticide misuse and overspray.

THE CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE SHOULD NOT SPEND MORE TAX MONEY WITHOUT INQUIRING FIRST--

* IF CHLORPYRIFOS AND ADMIRE MIGHT POLLUTE WATER SUPPLIES AND CONTAMINATE SOILS AND STREAM SEDIMENT,

* IF INFUSION OF ADMIRE MIGHT DAMAGE OR WIPE OUT POPULATIONS OF POLLINATORS AND OTHER BENEFICIAL INSECTS, OR HURT WILDLIFE

OPPOSE GOVERNMENT-FUNDED AERIAL OR GROUND-BASED SPRAYING OF LORSBAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF PIERCE'S DISEASE CONTROL IN VINEYARDS. The plan is bad-inadequate controls, no monitoring, and little public accountability.

INSTEAD, join with us to SUPPORT inclusion of language to tighten CA Senate Budget Subcommittee conditions, and require the legislature to:

1. stop plans for present and future government-funded helicopter spraying of chlorpyrifos,

2. require the Department of Agriculture to follow the California Public Resources Code 21000ff for any Pierce's Disease work plan,

*enforcement of existing laws to protect the public and farmworkers from pesticide drift, overspray, and toxic runoff (Cal Code of Regulations 6614);

*monitoring of all existing and future pesticide and bioengineering studies or projects regarding Pierce's Disease;

*investigation of adverse impacts (including financial) of vineyard land-use practices on citrus, nursery, bees and other pollinators; on wildlife, including butterflies, caterpillars, and insectivorous birds; on public health and organic farms;

*investigation of vineyard land-use practices on manifestation of Pierce's Disease condition in vineyards.

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PLEASE ACT TODAY! The current action will go to conference committee IMMEDIATELY.

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WHY do we say "stop the legislature from awarding millions more out of the budget for more spraying and bioengineering for Pierce's Disease until the problem is better understood?"

Glassy-winged sharpshooters inhabit citrus by the millions and have been seen in large numbers in southern California for at least 10 years. Why the Pierce's Disease outbreak now?

Citrus is a "host" plant for the leafhopper-they love citrus, lay their eggs in citrus, but cause no Pierce's Disease in citrus. The problem starts when a leafhopper jumps out of a southern California citrus grove and onto a grape vine. So, why are so many grapes planted near citrus?

Lots of vineyards near swarms of leafhoppers in citrus groves are doing fine; other vineyards are so-called Pierce's Disease hot spots. So the disease doesn't hit every vineyard that borders a citrus grove-why not?

Not all rootstocks and not all varieties are equally susceptible. Which ones were planted and died in Temecula? Where are the rootstocks coming from? Not all bacteria-infected grape vines become diseased-why not?

Since not all infected grapes become diseased, and since any xylem-feeding insect can spread Pierce's Disease, the problem will not be solved by eradicating the glassy-winged sharpshooter. An insect may be necessary to spread the bacteria but clearly is not sufficient to cause the disease.

Since glassy-winged sharpshooters are all over southern California, why is there no move to restrict movement of southern California grapes?

The above are only a few of many questions regarding land use and farming practices that remain unanswered-too many questions to be proposing and funding Draconian measures like helicopter spraying of neurotoxins and introducing non-native bacteria, parasites, and insects that could cause grave "unintended consequences" and jeopardize public health and safety-and other sectors of the agricultural industry.

First, there should be investigations of land use practices, root stocks, grape varieties, and soil and water conditions in the areas affected.

(Editor's Note: Okay, at what point do the people start meaning more than profits? Government officials can be sued for malfeasance... is endangering and killing off the population not considered malfeasance?)

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