Alameda County, California - County board calls for fewer pesticides

More and more people and studies are talking about the potential harm of pesticide use to human beings, said Supervisor Keith Carson, who urged the resolution. There are alternative modes that are least harmful to the environment and individuals. We want to push towards that.

 

              

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Subject:    County board calls for fewer pesticides
 Date:        Sun, 13 May 2001 09:29:28 -0400
From:        Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

To:     Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
          Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation 

cc:    Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov

Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read the following story that appeared in the Oakland Tribune entitled: County board calls for fewer pesticides dated May 11, 2001, By Donna Horowitz - STAFF WRITER.

Alameda County supervisors approved a proposal Tuesday that encourages county agencies to minimize use of pesticides on county-owned property.

The board's resolution calls for a committee headed by the county agricultural commissioner to advise it on pesticide policies. But it doesn't go as far as other Northern California areas, which adopted ordinances regulating pesticide use.

The city of Arcata in Humboldt County passed a ban last year that eliminated use of pesticides on all city property and Marin County adopted an ordinance in 1998 that requires county agencies to cut yearly pesticide use by 75 percent.

Agricultural Commissioner Earl Whitaker said both of those areas are much smaller than Alameda County, adding "the goal is to do the same, but one thing doesn't fit all sizes."

The county's "integrated pest management" plan requires officials to look at use of pesticides as well as more natural alternatives.

More and more people and studies are talking about the potential harm of pesticide use to human beings, said Supervisor Keith Carson, who urged the resolution. There are alternative modes that are least harmful to the environment and individuals. We want to push towards that.

Carson said the policy would not prevent use of any measures necessary to eradicate the glassy-winged sharpshooter should it show up in the vineyards. The new policy will allow county agencies using pesticides to better work together, he said.

He asked department heads how much pesticide they use to kill weeds and rats in January after a Berkeley constituent who was active in Marin on the issue contacted his office.

In a letter to his colleagues, Carson said he found that seven county agencies or special districts use a significant volume of chemical pesticides to control weeds, insects, rodents, microbes and other pests.

A county Environmental Health Department summary said all agencies have reduced their reliance on chemicals over the past years.

©1999-2001 by MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers

Well Mr. Helliker, the best way to reduce pesticide use and misuse is to allow the use of safe and far more effective unregistered alternatives. David Russell once noted: "The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn." At some point "our" government "regulators" will have to cross the alternative pest control bridge because your "registered" POISONS do not "control" pest problems and are extremely dangerous - even if you continue to pretend that these terrible toxins are "safe and/or effective", the real truth will eventually overwhelm your "registered" POISON "bridges".

Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten

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