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Letter to Paul Helliker of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation

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September 6, 2001

Paul Helliker Director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation

Dear Mr. Helliker,

My name is Lowell Downey.  I am on the Alternative Control Committee, which was recently formed by Napa Agricultural Commissioner, Dave Whitmer, and is a committee within the Glassy-wing Action Task Force here in Napa.  I also represent POISON, People Opposed to Insecticide Spraying On Neighborhoods.

I am interested in your response to the letter written to you by Linda J. McElver, GWSS Environmental Task Force - non governmental public health representative.  Does the Department of Pesticide Regulation consider it against the law for any grower or pest control professional to use anything but a registered pesticide to control pest problems"?

Are her concerns accurate?

The charge of our committee is to develop an alternative strategy that will work for the purpose set-out in our Work Plan.  We seek to create a model for how an alternative model can work to eradicate and control the insect. There are people in our community that object to forced pesticide spraying. There are people in our community whose health cannot be jeopardized by pesticide use.  Yet we must control this insect. Alternative methods, therefore, are essential.

We are particularly interested in the product Surround.  At this time, Surround is not registered for residential use.  However, the product has great potential.  Please advise on how we can further our discussion of making this product useful to the efforts to eradicate the glassy-wing from neighborhoods.

One scenario for using this product would be on a vineyard or park alongside a neighborhood where the glassy-wing has been found.  Surround has been shown to deter adult insects from remaining in the vineyard.  If a vineyard or park surrounding an infestation is treated with Surround, perhaps this product may help contain the infestation in one area while efforts are taken to keep the insect from spreading.

Also, alternatives have not been tested on one neighborhood in California to control and or eradicate the glassy-wing.  How can a program like this be established?  Please advise.

Our committee looks forward to your response.

Lowell Downey POISON People Opposed to Insecticide Spraying On Neighborhoods and the Alternative Committee Glassy-Wing Action Task Force - NAPA, CA

 

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