Coastal Post Online
MARIN COUNTY'S NEWS
MONTHLY - FREE PRESS
(415)868-1600 -
(415)868-0502(fax) - P.O. Box 31, Bolinas, CA, 94924
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Urgent Call To Action Over Mosquito District Pesticides
By Katharina Sandizell
A few weeks ago, The Point Reyes Light published an article explaining that West Marin had been annexed into the territorial control of the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito/Vector Control District. The MSMVC District did this without public hearing or comment. Only home owners voted on a yearly tax based on a misleading "Ballot Information Guide." From this ballot, people formed the mistaken idea that the agents to be used for mosquito control would be "environmentally safe" (ballot information guide, p.4) and harmless. The residents of West Marin who rent, and who would be equally affected by the use of pesticides, did not have the opportunity to vote.
The MSMVCD now has the authority to spray chemical pesticides throughout West Marin without oversight, notification, or consultation. It could spray pesticides in residential ditches, spray pesticidal 'fog' from trucks, or engage in aerial spraying without public approval or notification. It can enter properties over the objections of the owner.
The District proposes to control the amount of larvae, pupae, and, if needed, adult mosquitos through biological and chemical means. Control of the larvae and pupae involves a localized use of chemical pesticides. This includes spraying pesticides like Methaprene (an synthetic hormone known to cause birth defects in frogs) and BTI (a biological bacteria agent with chemical inert ingredients) in water-based solutions or granules by truck into, for example, the ditches that line most of our residential streets. Control of adult mosquitos employs aerial spraying and fogging of toxic pesticides over large areas. In areas inaccessible by truck, the District can spray by helicopter, including the marshlands of West Marin. For up to a few days after spraying, water-based pesticides can 'drift' for up to 14 miles in mild wind and could easily reach residential areas and organic farms.
The full details and scope of the District's program are outlined in its California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) revised June 14, 2004. This document states that the District routinely uses pesticides including neurotoxic Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids (p. 50). It recognizes that "pesticide drift onto organic farms ...can lead to loss of organic registration for the farmer. Drift onto honey bees or hives ... can kill the bees and destroy the hive" (p.52). The CEQA document states that criteria for aerial spraying are not limited to emergency or epidemic, but include accessibility, cost effectiveness, and even the number of available vehicles (Appendix D). The District's Ballot Information Guide, in contrast, emphasized using only 'safe' methods for mosquito control. In the United States it is against the law to claim that pesticides are safe (Code of Federal regulations, 40CFR156.10).
Pyrethrin and Pyrethroid pesticide exposure can lead to a variety of health problems including headaches, nausea, convulsions and respiratory failure. Infants are at particular risk because their bodies cannot effectively break down the chemicals. They have been linked to cancer, especially breast cancer, and are extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. (Source: Physicians for Social Responsibility.)
According to the Pesticide Action Network, there have been over one hundred pesticides that have been portrayed as "safe and nontoxic for humans" that have been later recalled due to unanticipated harmful effects. If Methaprene has been demonstrated to cause birth defects in frogs, how rational is the claim that it is safe for humans, cows, and wildlife?
A severe infection of West Nile virus is a serious health issue, and not to be taken lightly or downplayed, but it must be balanced by its probability and the known health risks of pesticide use. The overwhelming percentage of people exposed to West Nile virus do not become ill. Less than 1% of humans exposed to West Nile Virus require serious medical attention (Source: MSMVCD). Pesticide exposure however (aggregate toxicity) is a clear and immediate danger to our health and well-being. It has been directly linked to a host of chronic illness, including various cancers and nervous system disorders. Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to human health. (D. Irwin, Toxicologist, Texas A&M University). It is reasonable to predict that increased pesticide use could aggravate an already high incidence of cancer in Marin County.
West Marin is attractive to residents and visitors alike for its pristine nature and wildlife. Would you feel as comfortable enjoying the bay, marshes, and beaches knowing pesticide spraying had occurred nearby? Do we want to wonder if our dogs and cats have carried pesticide residue into our homes? Do we want the integrity of our local food supply compromised? Most importantly, do we want to allow the mosquito and vector people uncontrolled jurisdiction over our towns and wildlife with no clear guarantee of what they are doing and when they are doing it? While I am no fan of mosquitos, I do not wish to risk our health while damaging the local ecosystem for uncertain benefits.
If you are concerned, please phone Steve Kinsey (499-7331) and join the EAC (663-9312).
Barry Smith and Katharina Sandizell / Pt. Reyes Station
chemfreewm@hotmail.com