Town Calls Off Pesticide Spraying
Concern over the recent highly publicized pesticide spraying that sickened dozens of people in Moreau has prompted the village to halt plans to spray the same substance along village streets.
Subject: Blais calls off insecticide spraying..................
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2001 16:32:10 -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 Regulationcc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read an article dated - August 18, 2001 from The Post Star entitled: Blais calls off insecticide spraying By DENISE BASSETT - Correspondent.
LAKE GEORGE - Concern over the recent highly publicized pesticide spraying that sickened dozens of people in Moreau has prompted the village to halt plans to spray the same substance along village streets.
Village Mayor Robert Blais said he made the decision after reviewing the precautionary data for the pesticide malathion and consulting with a series of state and private pesticide professionals.
"Hazardous to humans and domestic animals ... harmful by swallowing, inhalation or skin contact ... highly toxic ... toxic to fish (and) aquatic life," Blais said, reading from the product information label for malathion. "It didn't seem to me we should be using this around the lake or in our community."
The Malathion application was originally planned for early August, but postponed because of the recent 90-plus degree heat wave, said Village Clerk Darlene Gunther.
Blais subsequently made the decision to call off the spraying entirely.
"I just got uncomfortable with spraying pesticides around the lakefront and on our trees and our walkways and our Main Street," he said.
According to a state Department of Health publication, malathion is a man-made insecticide commonly used to control mosquitoes and vegetation-destroying insects. The village planned the spraying to combat aphid infestation in village trees, which attract wasps, Blais said.
But after reviewing the product information and speaking to Department of Environmental Conservation officials, Blais said he felt the pest control benefits weren't worth the risk.
"In fact, our trees appear to be in fairly good shape, and this is a very busy time in our community and we just don't want to take the chance," he said.
In June, more than 30 people at a Moreau town park were sickened and several hospitalized after exposure to high concentrations of malathion being sprayed nearby to control mosquitoes.
The contractor for the Moreau spraying, Tree Care by Stan Hunt, is also the contractor retained for the aphid-control spraying. But Blais said canceling the spraying was unrelated to the company's involvement in the Moreau incident. Although malathion is used for both mosquitoes and aphids, dosages and application techniques differ, Department of Environmental Conservation Pesticide Control Specialist John Bennett said.
"One used for mosquito control is an ultra low volume; a very small amount of product at a very concentrated dosage -- whereas one used for tree pests would be something mixed with water, sprayed totally differently, at a very low concentration."
Application of the insecticide is governed by stringent guidelines including the time of year, wind velocity and temperature conditions at the application time.
"I was told it would disappear after a half an hour or an hour, but our community is very intense in the summer ..." Blais said. "So after I found out all of this and listened to how it should be applied I decided it would be in the best interest of us not to spray this pesticide or any pesticide within the boundaries or anywhere near the lake or anywhere in our community."
The mayor didn't rule out the possibility that it would spray to control insects in the future, saying the village will first "monitor" the consequences of the decision to refrain from spraying. He added, however, that public opinion appears to favor a permanent stoppage.
"Basically, all the people who've found out about the decision have said 'hooray,'" Blais said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source url: http://www.poststar.com/news/local/story05.shtml --
Well Mr. Helliker, When will you realize "public opinion appears to favor a permanent stoppage"? People want safe and far more effective (unregistered) alternatives or they will live with their pest problems rather than becoming sick and/or dying from your "registered" POISONS!
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
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