Green SF: Aerial Spraying Over San Francisco & Bay Area

The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that California officials plan an aerial pest eradication program over San Francisco and parts of the Bay Area. The bug in question is the Light Brown Apple Moth which -- depending on your information source -- will either destroy California's agriculture as we know it, or is barely an issue (at currently monitored numbers).

The areas due to be sprayed this summer include San Francisco, Daly City, Colma, Oakland, Piedmont, Emeryville, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Tiburon and Belvedere. And you can bet there are residents and environmentalists who are concerned about spraying the pesticide Checkmate on human and non-human habitat in these zones.

More than 600 residents of the Santa Cruz and Monterey areas, who were part of a similar program, complained of health issues in the wake of their spraying. Injured birds turned up after the spraying, possibly affected by the surfactants in the mix. A site called Stop the Spray evolved to educate, to oppose the spraying, and to promote non-pesticide alternatives.

The active ingredient of Checkmate is a pheromone, designed to interfere with the moth's breeding. But there is concern over the potential impact of inert ingredients in the Checkmate product. The California Department of Agriculture reports that although "toxicological information on the Checkmate product indicates that exposure to high levels of the applied material would be consistent with many of the reported symptoms, the application rate was extremely low, and it is likely that exposure occurred at levels below those that would be expected to result in health effects.” ^{(cdfa.ca.gov)}

Groups like the Pesticide Action Network remain skeptical about the stated safety of aerial spraying, even at the current rate of application, and support less invasive methods and alternatives such as ground-level spraying and pheromone traps.

Having lived previously in two aerial spraying zones, with random fly-overs and controversy over health effects -- and living to the best of my ability without using pesticides and other potentially toxic agents -- you can say I'm not a fan of state-imposed application of chemicals, especially over urban areas and also in consideration of wildlife.

If you have concerns about what the program entails and how it might affect your neighborhood, you can attend some upcoming meetings around the Bay Area:

• Berkeley: February 24, 5:00p - Berkeley Hillside Club (2286 Cedar, between Spruce & Arch)
• San Francisco: February 25, 2008, 6:00p - San Francisco County Fair Building Auditorium/Golden Gate Park (9th Ave & Lincoln)
• Oakland: February 26, 2008, 6:30p - Ellis M Harris State Building Auditorium (1515 Clay Street)

Information, discussion and petitions from Stop the Spray and LBAMSpraying.com.

Learn how to reduce or eliminate pesticides in your home and garden -- check out Berkeley's Bio-Integral Resource Center.