October 16th: LBAM Spray Hearing at Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors

Update from October 10th: Judge Issues 10 day No LBAM spray order!

Helping Our Peninsula's Environment (HOPE), an organization dedicated to protecting the natural environment, sued the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) because they violated California's Environmental Quality Act. CDFA refused to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) claiming they are exempt because it is an emergency. CDFA plans to aerially re-spray the Monterey Peninsula with Suterra's Checkmate pesticide (a moth pheromone) starting October 9th. The spraying will reportedly occur from 8 pm to 5 am on the scheduled nights.

HOPE Chairman Terrence Zito asked, "How can there be an emergency if the moth is widespread, yet in a lifetime it flies no father from its birthplace than you can throw a rock, admittedly is not spreading; has been here for years, maybe decades, yet just like in Hawaii has done no serious damage since it arrived more than 100 years ago?"

HOPE trustee Vienna Merritt-Moore added, "HOPE believes it is highly relevant that CDFA or USDA have never conducted a successful eradication program using pheromones, nor have they tested the aerial pesticides for harm to biota." Read More

Audio: FRSC: Apple Moth Spraying in Santa Cruz interview with David Dilworth

see also: Light Brown Apple Moth Summary | Organic Farmers (CCOF) Approves LBAM Spray | HOPE files Court papers including mention of Polymethylene polyphenyl isocyanate | Biochemical Spray LBAM topic of 10/9 Santa Cruz City Council meeting | Light Brown Apple Moth -LBAM Facts | Helping Our Peninsula's Environment (HOPE) News | LBAMspray.info

previous feature: "Aerial Applications of CheckMate®OLR-F Are Necessary in Your Area"