Update on pesticide ordinance - a little victory

Hello Everyone.

Here's a quick update on the pesticide issue in
Oakland: East Bay Pesticide Alert and representatives
of a few other environmental groups met with the City
Attorney yesterday. We won a little victory at this
meeting: The City will be required to produce a full
Environmental Impact Review if they continue to push
for this ordinance. I'm attaching the Press Release by
EBPA with the details. While this is great news, let
us also remember that the environmental laws are far
from perfect, and in the long run the EIR may not
prevent the City to go ahead with their plan. It is
still important that people continue to speak out
against the ordinance itself, the use of pesticides in
general, and the vast number of alternatives to such
toxic practices. The goal here is to stop this
ordinance from being passed at all. I hope to see you
at the meetings the following two Tuesdays at Oakland
City Hall.

Love,
Isis



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2005
EAST BAY PESTICIDE ALERT

Staff and Councilmembers who are proposing the
amendment to the IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
policy have accepted the City Attorney's vigorous
recommendation that such a policy change, introducing
toxics into the environment, requires environmental
review under the provisions of CEQA (California
Environmental Quality Act).

East Bay Pesticide Alert applauds Oakland City
Attorney, John Russo, for recognizing the importance
of a full environmental review of any proposed city
pesticide use in the Oakland Hills. He has now gotten
agreement from Council Member Jean Quan's office to
submit to a Full Environmental Impact Report if they
persist in pushing for pesticide use as part of fire
prevention plans.

Russo and his staff also took into consideration a
point made by Barb Wilkie from the Environmental
Health Network: that using the wildfire assessment
fund to pay for suppression of not particularly
flammable non-native plants could be a misuse of
assessed monies Russo expressed appreciation for the
file of information, including toxicological profiles,
provided by EBPA to him and all the members of the
city council. These toxicological profiles and letters
of support for this work to keep this amendment from
being passed can be read at
http://www.eastbaypesticidealert.org under 'local
issues'

We invite the press to meet with us prior to the
Public Works hearing on Tuesday, the 8th, at 12:30,
Hearing Room 1, City Hall, to receive press packets
and to have questions answered. We also will be
similarly available Tuesday, the 15th, prior to the
City Council meeting at 6pm.

Contact Maxina Ventura, of EBPA 510-895-2312