I attended another town hall meeting on the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) issue in San Francisco last night. I'll be posting my detailed notes on the meeting later this weekend, but in the meantime, I continue to urge everyone to learn about this critical Bay Area issue -- to read the available articles and studies, and to link to some of the groups below who've had their boots on the ground from the start.

This is a program that will affect all of us in the Bay Area -- with potential health, economic and environmental consequences. We cannot escape the spray (unless we move) so it behooves us to know how it may affect our lives and the lives of our children, our pets, and our wildlife.

If the aerial program happens as planned, we will be sprayed with a chemical mixture, for three days each month, for up to nine months out of the year, and for three to five years. That's correct. Those are the estimates given by the CDFA. There is a synthetic pheromone involved, and an additional list of chemicals, still to be determined, but similar to the Checkmate product used over Santa Cruz and Monterey. The delivery system proposed is a tiny plastic microcapsule, which time-releases the product over 30 days, and which can be inhaled into lung tissue.

Read the CDFA's points. Read the many refutations of those points (links below). And keep in mind the CDFA has had a significant PR budget for their point of view, whereas the opposition comes by way of vigilant grassroots efforts.

Cities in the Bay Area are saying no to the CDFA's program -- passing "no spray" resolutions. But the CDFA is not bound by those resolutions. The City of San Francisco has asked City Attorney Dennis Herrera to prepare litigation against the State of California.

There will be more details in my updated summary. But until then, please utilize the resources below to better understand what's being proposed for our Bay Area homes and wilds this summer.

On May 9, 2008 -- Angie Coiro (on KKGN Green960 AM) hosted both Albany Mayor Robert Lieber and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura. You can link to audio of the show here..

Previous articles at About San Francisco:

Overview of LBAM Spraying | Summary of Berkeley Town Hall Meeting (Feb 2008)

Learn more about the LBAM Aerial Spraying Issue - San Francisco & Bay Area. You can link to the CDFA's official website here. Below are links to groups that oppose the CDFA's aerial spraying plans.

• California Alliance to Stop the Spray
  Umbrella organization for groups, health professionals, and individuals who oppose the spray
• Stop the Spray
  Founded in the Autumn of 2007 to give voice to aerial spraying opposition in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties
• East Bay Stop the Spray
  East Bay arm of Stop the Spray
• LBAMspray.com
  Online repository of LBAM-related documents, studies and news
• Vegan Reader
  An informative, independent website covering all aspects of the LBAM spray issue
• Joanie Greggains at KGO Radio
  Joanie's been covering the LBAM issue on her show Saturday mornings
• Play Not Spray
  Coalition of parents and concerned San Franciscans opposed to the spray
• Pesticide Watch
  Citizens group founded in 1991 to develop sustainable solutions for dealing with pests