BACKGROUND:
Urban aerial spraying planned for light brown apple moth
The State of California is working with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to eliminate an invasive agricultural pest, the Light Brown Apple Moth. The primary tool for eradication the CDFA has chosen is aerial spraying of CheckMate, a synthetic pheromone-based pesticide. Spraying in Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Solano counties is scheduled to commence in August 2008. We, at The FruitGuys are concerned about the aerial spraying of urban areas because our research has shown that the effects of Checkmate on human and environmental health are unclear and other more sustainable and effective means of control are being overlooked. In addition, we believe spraying CheckMate is an extreme and potentially dangerous step to control a pest that has not caused significant crop damage where it is currently found. We hope to help stop the spray and find ways to encourage more sustainable methods of pest control. We will continue to update you on this issue and if you would like to voice your concern and ask CDFA not to spray you can sign the petition here and forward it to your friends and family.
Some of your questions and concerns:
Please read some Question and Concerns about spraying for the invasive Light Brown Apple Moth below. Then, if you would like to sign a petition opposing the spray please visit stopthespray.org.
Q: What is the Light Brown Apple Moth?
A: The light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Tortricidae), is a native pest of Australia and is now widely distributed in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Caledonia. Although it was reported in Hawaii in the late 1800s, a recent LBAM detection in California is the first on the United States mainland. The USDA confirmed the detection of LBAM in Alameda County, California on March 22, 2007. (Source: Pesticide Action Network North America) but some entomologists believe it has been here for decades.
The USDA and CDFA are working aggressively to control and eradicate this pest because they are concerned about a long list of agricultural crops that could be damaged by this pest. These crops include grapes, citrus, stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, apricots) and many others. (Source: USDA)
Q: What is the proposed pesticide CheckMate?
A: CheckMate is a pesticide that includes a synthetic pheromone that disrupts the mating cycle of the moth. In addition, CheckMate includes inert ingredients that may negatively impact human and environmental health.
While the USDA supports the spraying of CheckMate and considers this an organic method of pest management, recently the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) publically disagreed with this stance. CCOF reversed its position and announced that it no longer believes that aerial spraying of CheckMate is the best way to control for the Light Brown Apple Moth.
Click here to see a list of CheckMate’s ingredients.
Q: Who is planning the spray?
A: CDFA, supported by the USDA, is planning aerial spraying of a synthetic pheromone based pesticide called Checkmate. See CDFA’s 2008-2009 Light Brown Apple Moth Action Plan here.
Q: Where is spraying planned?
A: In Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Solano counties. Map here: CDFA.
Q: Why urban spraying?
A: CDFA is attempting to eradicate the moth in urban areas because this is where it the largest populations of the moth have been found.
(Source: CDFA)
Q: What are the health concerns associated with spraying CheckMate?
A: Hundreds of residents in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, where pheromone pesticides were aerially applied late last year, have reported a variety of symptoms, including shortness of breath, muscle aches and sore throats. The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC), a leading environmental action organization, has stated that while no ingredients in CheckMate are toxic on their own, at sufficiently high doses some of the ingredients (such as tri-caprylyl methyl ammonium chloride) might be irritating to the mucus membranes. (Assemblymember John Laird)
The ingredients include ammonium and sodium phosphates, polyvinyl alcohol, and benzisothiozolin. The phosphates for instance are known skin and eye irritants, and polyvinyl alcohol is considered carcinogenic. Benzisothiozolin has not received much study, but what little study does exist suggests that this substance may kill certain types of algae and invertebrate marine animals. Another ingredient, butylated hydroxytoluene, has been linked to asthma symptoms and to cancer. (Source: Wisegeek)
Q: How has this spraying been able to bypass normal environmental regulations?
A: The USDA granted an emergency exemption, which bypasses the normal environmental regulations, including the California Environmental Quality Act. (CEQA)
Q: If spraying is stopped, HOW will the moth be controlled?
A: Pheromones are approved be The Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA) to control for moths like the LBAM, but are more effective when utilized in ground applications or in twist-ties that contain pheromones. PANNA is an organization that works internationally to replace pesticide use with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives. (Source: The Center for Urban Education)
Other ecologically sound organic IPM methods and some forms of biological control, such as the stingless Trichogramma wasps that look for and lay their eggs in LBAM eggs, are preferable to and ultimately more effective than use of organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos or aerial spraying of CheckMate. (Source: CDFA)
Some concerns have been expressed by CDFA Primary State Entomologist, Kevin Hoffman, that simply replacing aerial spraying of CheckMate with certain Integrated Pest Management (IPM) suggestions is also flawed. (Source: CDFA) Thus, it is clear that a number of methods will need to be used to control for this pest, including IPM, biological control and localized, ground application or use of pheromone twist-ties.
Q: How much will aerial spraying cost?
A: Aerial spraying will cost the USDA a minimum of $74.5 million. This does not include the $500,000 to be used for CDFA’s PR about CheckMate.
Q: How can the spraying be stopped?
A: Ultimately the Governor has the authority to stop the spray.
Q: How much of an “agricultural emergency” is this?
A: The Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA) believes that communities, farmers and agencies must come together to control the light brown apple moth (LBAM). They recognize that LBAM is an invasive species that appears to have established such a substantial presence in California in recent years that eradication is not practical or possible. Yet if not controlled, LBAM has the potential to do significant economic and environmental damage in California and other parts of North America. We further recognize that LBAM and similar pests, if not controlled, could require quarantines beyond the current county-level restrictions imposed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), affecting the economic viability of organic and conventional farms, small and large. Thus, it seems that it is important to control this pest that could affect a diversity of agricultural crops. (Source: Pesticide Action Network North America)
There is some evidence that the LBAM is only considered to be a minor pest in New Zealand, and thus, while it is important to control this pest, aerial spraying may be both extreme and ineffective as a method for control of eradication. For example, botanist and executive director of the Arboretum at UC Santa Cruz, Daniel Harder stated, "It's not such a nasty pest. You're not going to see a plant succumbing to the light brown apple moth." (Source: San Francisco Chronicle)
In addition, there is evidence that the Light Brown Apple Moth did not just show up overnight. The light brown apple moth, the ravenous crop-eating Australian pest has been detected in at least nine California counties since mid-March and, "was probably here a very long time prior to its discovery and it's probably far more widespread than currently delineated,” according to UC Davis entomologist James R. Carey. Carey is noted for his research on the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) invasion of California. The medfly, detected in the early 1980s, threatened the state's billion dollar citrus industry, leading to widespread detection, eradication and quarantine attempts. (Source: UC Davis)
Q: Is the LBAM the emergency or is spraying for the LBAM the emergency?
A: It seems that there are currently 2 emergencies. The first, noted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is the potential threat of the LBAM to California’s crops and other flora. The second, is the plan to control for this invasive moth by aerial spraying of CheckMate, a synthetic pheromone based pesticide who’s impacts on human and environmental health are unclear. At the moment sprayings are planned in Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Solano counties. We believe that the plan to spray these areas with CheckMate is flawed, and that other diverse, more sustainable methods exist which will help farmers control this pest and minimize crop loss in a truly organic fashion.
Q: What is the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) saying about the LBAM situation?
A: On Monday, March 10, the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) reversed its position and announced that it no longer believes that aerial spraying of CheckMate is the best way to control for the Light Brown Apple Moth. We agree with CCOF, who stated on March 10, 2008:
“CCOF is concerned about the impact of all pests on agriculture. In addition, we are concerned about the impacts of pest control actions on human health and the environment. As we have learned more about the ecology, chemistry, policies and politics surrounding the eradication program for the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM), we question whether an eradication program can be successful, and we acknowledge that the repeated spraying of an untested material and its inert ingredients on a large populated area is not desirable. We also believe that the health impacts on people, pets and wildlife, as well as the ecological impacts on our ecosystems and watersheds, need further evaluation.”
Q: What is The FruitGuys’ opinion on this issue and what actions are we taking?
A: We believe that spraying for the LBAM is an extreme, potentially dangerous and unnecessary step which will expose the human population and local flora and fauna to potential harm in a way that is out of balance the benefit it may provide for agricultural protection. The stated benefits for agriculture put forth by the CDFA regarding aerial spraying of CheckMate to eradicate the LBAM are both undetermined and unsustainable under the action plan.
We believe that other more sustainable methods of control for this pest, which do not harm the human populations at large should be utilized. These methods include:
Exclude use of pesticides containing organophosphates.
Encourage CDFA to provide farmers with “twist-ties” containing pheromone.
Encourage CDFA to provide pheromone based pesticides to farmers to be used at the farms.
Promote other forms of integrated pest management (IPM).
Less invasive approaches such as biological control using the stingless wasp.
We welcome you to contact us with any or your own questions, concerns or comments on this issue!
TAKE ACTION!
4 simple things you can do to voice your opposition to the spray:
1.To voice your opposition to the spraying please visit www.stopthespray.org to sign the petition.
2.Email the petition to your friends and family and ask them to sign it.
3.Send an e-card to the chair and members of the Assembly AG committee here.
4.STAY INFORMED by visiting the websites we link to in this article. Lead groups working on this issue include:
STATEWIDE ORGANIZATIONS
CCOF
Pesticide Watch
Environment California
REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Stop the Spray Marin
Stop the Spray
California Alliance to Stop the Spray
Coalition for Sustainable Action
Helping Our Peninsula’s Environment
The FruitGuys address apple moth issue: