Tell Gov. Schwarzenegger: Stop the Aerial Pesticide Spraying Petition

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Tell Gov. Schwarzenegger: Stop the Aerial Pesticide Spraying Petition

 

Tell Gov. Schwarzenegger: Stop the Aerial Pesticide Spraying

 

Online petition:

 

http://act.credomobile.com/campaign/ca_aerial_spraying

 

Recently the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA)

announced

controversial plans for nighttime aerial pesticide spraying over the

urban

areas of the San Francisco Bay in an attempt to control the light brown

apple moth. The spraying would be conducted at regular intervals as

often as

once every thirty days.

 

The CDFA itself admits that the light brown apple moth has done no crop

damage in California to date, and biologists agree that the spraying

will

not eradicate the moth. There is considerable debate as to whether the

moth

actually poses a significant threat to California agriculture.

 

The pesticide to be sprayed (called " Checkmate " ) has never before been

approved for application over populated areas, and has never been

tested for

long-term human toxicity. In addition to the active ingredient (a

synthetic

pheromone designed to disrupt the moth's reproduction), Checkmate

contains

other chemical compounds listed as " inactive " ingredients -- the exact

composition of which are undisclosed due to the " trade secrets "

privilege.

 

Similar spraying was done in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties this past

fall, after which more than 600 residents complained of respiratory

problems. Better alternatives exist for controlling the light brown

apple

moth, such as sticky traps baited with these same pheromones.

 

Please sign our petition to Governor Schwarzenegger (we'll also send a

copy

to your Assemblymember and State Senator) to support an immediate

moratorium

on aerial spraying until safer, non-aerial alternatives can be

identified;

and to support proposed legislation to ensure the future informed

consent of

the people that would be affected by any other proposed aerial pesticide

sprays.

Tell me more

Send this petition to:

 

* Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (if you live in California)

* Your Assemblyperson (if you live in California)

* Your State Senator (if you live in California)

 

********************************************

 

I strongly oppose the proposed aerial spraying of urban areas in

California

for the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM).

 

This is the first time that aerial spraying of this pesticide has been

proposed for densely populated areas. Regrettably, no studies whatsoever

have been conducted on the long-term health or environmental impacts

of such

aerial spraying. The aerial spraying plan comes with very high risks for

negative public health impacts, especially given that the proposed plan

would include multiple aerial sprayings over a short period of time, and

over several years.

 

In addition, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)

does

not have an adequate public notification system in place to ensure

that all

potentially affected individuals would be notified of the date and

time of

any control or eradication efforts. This lack of public notification is

completely unacceptable and denies the public the right to protect

themselves and their children from pesticide exposure.

 

I urge you to support an immediate moratorium on any aerial spraying

over

urban populations in California. In addition, I ask you to support the

legislation proposed -- AB 2760, AB 2763, AB 2764, AB 2765, and AB

2892 --

as a package to ensure better public notification and debate about any

such

control or eradication programs in the future.

Signed by:

[Your name]

[Your address]

 

 

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