Environmental leaders from throughout the San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas have asked Federal District Judge Saundra Armstrong to deny the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s motion to block disclosure of the chemicals used in the CheckMate pesticides sprayed on Monterey and Santa Cruz residents as part of the government’s Apple Moth Eradication Program. EPA has requested Judge Armstrong to prevent disclosure of the chemicals in the spray, claiming the manufacturer’s proprietary interest outweighs the public’s right to know. Previously, EPA approved use of these chemicals for continued spraying by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Sonoma counties. Opposing the spray program and seeking disclosure of its chemical ingredients are the lead plaintiff, North Coast Rivers Alliance, Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, Albany Mayor Robert Lieber, Santa Cruz City Councilman Tony Madrigal, and leaders of the anti-spray movement in each of the affected counties together with victims of the previous apple moth spray debacle in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. Read more

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