Subject: Spray zone families live in
climate of fear
Date: 4/17/2004
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
(www.thebestcontrol.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State
of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
SUNDAY , 18
APRIL 2004
By ANNA CHALMERS
Severe
asthma, bleeding noses and life in a suitcase have been the reality of
living in the apple-moth spray zone for many west Aucklanders - but they
consider themselves the lucky ones.
Locals are outraged that what they believed all along has been confirmed - their health has been put at risk in the spray zone.
After fighting with MAF officials for months, two families who spoke to the Sunday Star-Times were given approval to join 200 other families who were moved out of the area during spraying. But that didn't end their troubles.
The spray's effects have devastated the Harvey family. Father of two Andrew lost his telecommunications job after taking too much time off work due to severe asthma, while daughter, Emily, four, has been rushed to hospital on numerous occasions, unable to breathe.
Before the spraying began they both had mild asthma, said Harvey. Their doctors have blamed the spray for their worsened conditions, he said. Daughter Emily is now permanently on steroids and said to her mother recently: "I hate sunny days because it means they're going to spray."
Life became a mad dash between motels, with last-minute evacuations as sprays were put on hold or finally went ahead. They once spent 15 consecutive days commuting between home and a hotel as the sprays were delayed.
They have also lived in fear as neighbours died. One died of emphysema, another of cancer; another has just had a lump removed, said Andrew.
"We got very paranoid at this point. These things don't just happen, I can't just believe it's a coincidence," he said.
Lisa Rutt lives in Swanson where a small area is still being sprayed. She also has chronic asthma.
Rutt was given the option of moving out during the spraying only after spending four days barely able to breathe.
"After being in the spray zone for a year, I believe it built up in my immune system. One weekend I was using and using my inhaler and it just wasn't working. I couldn't breathe and it was very scary."
Her doctor believed her condition was linked to the spray.
She contacted MAF officials who said she would need to visit their doctor. "He sat there and told me it was all in my head, that it was a predisposition, or I'd been exposed to extra pollen. I couldn't believe it. I felt like he was fobbing me off. I'd never had (asthma) so bad.
"I had to basically not take no for an answer. I just knew it was the spray because it was the only thing that had changed in my environment."
Persistence led to an appointment with a specialist, who didn't take long to concluded it was the spray's effects, she said.
MAF agreed to cover the costs of motel accommodation while the spraying was on, but Rutt's five-year-old daughter Sharn missed kindergarten, music lessons and playing with friends while away from home.
A number of people spoken to by the Star-Times referred to other symptoms like bleeding noses and eczema. Harvey said MAF's response to the high incidence of bleeding noses was unacceptable. "They classed blood noses as minor, not worth worrying about; that's not nice.
"We felt we have really done our bit for the whole country for the last three years. No research was ever done in the beginning into the spray's effects."
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