[Sustain] Urgent Alert: Public Comment This Mon & Tue On Brown Apple Moth Aerial Spraying

[Eric Brooks]

from - 
http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/listing/b61d5789-6629-4912-a35c-2567d7806251


  Speak out against aerial spraying - CDFA coming to town this week!

Last week the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) made 
an official announcement that they intend to continue aerial spraying of 
pesticides over Monterey and Santa Cruz counties in June, and begin 
spraying over the Bay Area in August. Once implemented the spraying will 
occur every 30-90 days, for 9 months of every year, for at least 3-5 
years to come.

The proposed areas to be sprayed by air total 444,060 acres, 693.8 miles 
(see map www.hopefortruth.com/lbam_2008.jpg). 
<http://www.hopefortruth.com/lbam_2008.jpg%29.> And that doesn't include 
the vast acreage of ground treatments that allow them to enter private 
properties to attach chemical twist ties and traps in your organic 
gardens, and paint insecticide on trees and utility poles, all in easy 
reach of climbing children, pets, and other beneficial creatures. 
Hundreds of people have already been made ill by the spraying last Fall 
in Monterey and Santa Cruz (list of symptoms 
www.indybay.org/newsitems/...70272.php). 
<http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/05/18470272.php%29.>

The CDFA is battling the little light brown apple moth (LBAM), not 
because it has the potential of eating us out of house and home, nor are 
they concerned about us not having enough to eat. Their eradication 
program has nothing whatsoever to do with public health and safety, but 
everything to do with trade. They worry about losing profits because of 
potential embargoes on California produce. They are not concerned about 
organic farmers, however, and organic standards are in the process of 
being diluted further.

The CDFA will be holding "scoping" meetings to hear public comments 
regarding their Environmental Impact Review (EIR) process. Please be 
aware that the spraying is not dependent on completion of such a review, 
because they have declared a "State of Emergency", which gives them the 
right to overrule other regulations, such as local pesticide ordinances, 
private property laws, and health, safety, and environmental protection.

You can demonstrate your concerns at the following meetings, which the 
CDFA is expected to attend. More meetings, organized by the CDFA, 
various city and county officials, and grassroots activists, in various 
communities are being added all the time. Please keep updated by 
checking out the calendar at www.lbamspray.com/calendar.htm 
<http://www.lbamspray.com/calendar.htm>

If you haven't done so already, please scroll down to the links on the 
bottom of this mail to sign the petition opposed to aerial spraying, and 
vote in the polls.

CDFA "scoping" meetings:

Monterey
Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 6:00 -- 8:00 p.m.
Monterey Peninsula College
Lecture Forum 103
980 Fremont Street
Monterey, CA 93940

Santa Cruz
Thursday, February 21, 2008, 6:00 -- 8:00 p.m.
University Inn & Conference Center
Sierra & Dawn Room
611 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

San Francisco
Monday, February 25, 2008, 6:00 -- 8:00 p.m.
San Francisco County Fair Building Auditorium
Golden Gate Park
9th Avenue & Lincoln Way
San Francisco, CA 94122

Oakland
Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 6:30 -- 8:30 p.m.
Ellis M Harris State Building Auditorium
1515 Clay St.
Oakland, CA 94612

Oral and written comments will be accepted. The deadline for written 
comments is March 20, 2008. They may be sent to:
Jim Rains, Staff Environmental Scientist
CA Department of Food and Agriculture
Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services
1220 N Street, Room A-316
Sacramento, CA 95814

LBAM on the agenda at City Council meetings:

Oakland
Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 7pm
Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza (14th St. Between Clay and 
Broadway) Hearing Room 1
Oakland City Council Public Safety Committee considers a resolution 
against aerial spraying proposed by Councilmembers Brunner and Reid
(draft resolution: clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/atta....pdf) 
<http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/18426.pdf%29>

Berkeley
Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 7pm
2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley
CDFA presentation scheduled at Berkeley City Council meeting

To prepare for talking with the CDFA, and to hear from grassroots 
opposition to the pesticide program:

San Leandro
East Bay Pesticide Alert/Don't Spray California presents:
Who's afraid of the Light Brown Apple Moth?
Sunday, February 24, 2008, 1:30-3:30pm
Zocalo Coffeehouse
645 Bancroft Ave @ Dutton, San Leandro
*(scent-free please)
www.eastbaypesticidealert.org/ <http://www.eastbaypesticidealert.org/>

Have you signed the petition against the spraying?

www.stopthespray.org/ <http://www.stopthespray.org/>

Voted in the poll in the Marin Independent Journal?

www.marinij.com/marin/ci_8257611 <http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_8257611>

And the one on About.com?

sanfrancisco.about.com/b/2008...rea.htm 
<http://sanfrancisco.about.com/b/2008/02/16/aerial-spraying-over-san-francisco-bay-area.htm> 


-- 
"I am not a liberator. Liberators do not exist. The people liberate themselves." -- Che Guevara

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://list.sfgreens.org/pipermail/sustainability/attachments/20080221/5e3e6f89/attachment.htm