Mar 6, 2008 12:10 am US/Pacific
Oakland Council Opposes Apple Moth Spraying
OAKLAND (BCN) ―
The Oakland City Council unanimously approved a resolution during Tuesday night's meeting opposing aerial moth spraying scheduled for this summer until state officials study possible health effects of the spray, Councilwoman Jane Brunner said Wednesday.
The resolution was written after city officials learned of the California Department of Food and Agriculture's plans to spray the pesticide "Checkmate" over numerous Bay Area cities to eradicate the light brown apple moth, Brunner said.
The state has claimed an emergency exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, allowing the state to spray the pheromone-based pesticide without conducting environmental review of possible environmental or health risks, according to Oakland city officials.
The city's Public Safety Committee passed the resolution Feb. 26, and it was then brought to the full City Council for vote Tuesday.
All eight members approved it, Brunner said.
The resolution asks that the spraying be stopped until a "reliable outside independent source verifies that there are no health effects," Brunner said.
"People are very pleased that we took such fast action," said Brunner, who added that the city has received numerous calls and e-mails from residents, including children, the elderly and those who suffer from asthma, expressing concern over the spraying.
In addition to passing the resolution, Mayor Ron Dellums will write a letter to the state with the council's resolution attached, and city officials will begin reviewing state legislation on aerial moth spraying to possibly support some of bills, according to Brunner.
Members of City Council have also requested that the city attorney look into the possibility of joining with other cities in a lawsuit against the state to compel an environmental review, Brunner said.
The Berkeley City Council in February also decided to oppose the spraying and, in January, the Albany City Council passed a similar resolution opposing the spraying.
Following the spraying of a synthetic pheromone in September, October and November in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties to combat the moth, a coalition of environmental groups released a report naming 648 cases of negative health effects that may have stemmed from the pesticide spraying, according to the Pesticide Watch Education Fund.
The moth is native to Australia and more than 2,000 plant species serve as its host plant and are susceptible to attack. The moth injures citrus, grapes and deciduous fruit tree crops.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
