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Light Brown Apple Moth Spraying Inspires Strong Gubernatorial Action and Robust Legislative Package
By Traci Sheehan
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League
In late 2007, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) aerially sprayed pesticides on Central Coast counties to control the spread of the light brown apple moth. Over 600 people reported health problems, including respiratory and intestinal ailments, eye irritation, dizziness, rashes, headaches, and nausea.
Yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered a postponement of aerial spraying in twelve counties until the completion of additional testing on the efficacy and toxicity of various substances that could be sprayed.
In addition, last Wednesday the Assembly Agriculture Committee heard a package of bills to reform aerial pesticide application in California, including requirements for greater planning, Environmental Impact Reports, and voter consent.
Hundreds of individuals, mainly from the Bay Area, came to express their support for the legislation, making for a rather raucous event.
The large numbers of supporters were very effective; AB 2760 (Leno), AB 2763 (Laird), and AB 2765 (Huffman) were passed out of the committee and will now be discussed in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
Two proposals, however, failed to get out of Committee: AB 2892 (Swanson), which would have required voter consent before pesticide application and AB 2764 (Hancock) which would have prohibited pesticide application for eradication without a proclaimed state of emergency.
The Governor's bold action and the strong showing of support for these much-needed bills gives us hope for the possibility of more holistic legislation to reform pesticide use in California. For example, California needs stronger protections for those who are especially prone to pesticide poisoning, including field workers and pesticide applicators.
AB 1530 (Lieber) provides an important first step by requiring better monitoring of pesticide poisoning. To assist PCL and the dozens of health, labor, and environmental organizations who support this measure, please ask Senator Sheila Kuehl, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health, and the other Committee members to let this bill out of Committee.
Traci Sheehan is the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, a statewide, nonprofit lobbying organization. For more than thirty years, PCL has fought to develop a body of environmental laws in California that is the best in the United States. PCL staff review virtually every environmental bill that comes before the California Legislature each year. It has testified in support or opposition of thousands of bills to strengthen California's environmental laws and fight off rollbacks of environmental protections.
Comments
You seem to have left off some important information. Governor Arnold only spoke up, after the Santa Cruz County judge called a halt to aerial spraying and ordered the E.I.R., that was never made, be done. You see, usually an E.I.R. is completed before people are sprayed with an untested pesticide chemical, even if it is hidden under a synthentic pheromone name. Yes, over 600 people filled out forms on their own showing the ill effects. It's probably in the thousand count of people that were made sick in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties - but no state or county group has come forward yet to help the people and organize a clinic. People were used as guinnea pigs and crop dusted and reports need to be filled out. The over 600 people are still waiting and have not been called. Urge the health clinics to start helping the people. There will be over 1,000 people to fill out forms who got sick. We need more lobbists to stand up for the civil rights of the people, health, EPA and full agriculture code reform.
Thanks
Kathy
Posted by: Kathy Smithe at May 17, 2008 07:24 PM
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