Spray Meeting 08/13/07 5:30

[Beachbummette]

Friends--
I'm forwarding to you information I've received from Susanne Morrone and Anita Page regarding Mosquito Control's proposed aerial spraying of organophosphates (deadly pesticides) on our beaches, to kill dogflies which pose no threat to humans. The spraying is on the BCC agenda for tonight's meeting (agenda included below). Please read the information below for details; please attend tonight's meeting, or if you can't attend, please e-mail the commissioners today and voice your opinion on the matter.

I believe the Mosquito Control folks are in favor of the spraying because the
state funds this program at no cost to the county (does this translate into
someone's job security?). They claim that Dibrom is not toxic to humans, and that the garlic sprays being used in other municipalities (for instance,
Glendale, CA) are ineffective. I don't know what brand they've tried, but I
personally have used garlic spray from K-Mart in my own yard and it's more
effective than anything else I've ever used, including the nasty chemicals I
used to spray before I knew any better.

Information about Dibrom, the poison the state provides, is given below. In a
nutshell, Dibrom is a wicked poison that accumulates in the environment and
takes years to biodegrade. It is just as toxic as a handful of other organophosphates that have been taken off the market as being too dangerous. Mosquito Control folks told us at last week's meeting that Dibrom breaks down quickly, but they didn't actually say the word "biodegrade," which means breaking down into harmless inert compounds such as water and CO2. So I did some more investigating and learned that indeed Dibrom breaks down quickly, but NOT into inert compounds -- it just breaks down into different poisons, including a highly potent carcinogen.

For what it's worth, the Mosquito Control folks are doing a lot of things right:
they are stocking waterways with native fish that eat mosquito larvae, for
instance; they are using black sticky beach balls for yellowfly control; they do a lot of monitoring so they don't just spray routinely, but only when insect
counts warrant. I'm not even necessarily opopsed to spraying, I just wish they would use something like garlic instead of these deadly poisons that also kill beneficial insects and fish, and are toxic to humans!

I hope to see you tonight. Meanwhile, if you need more information, a good
place to start is www.fixsowal.com. Thanks for your time!

Susan Horn

 

[Beachbummette]

2nd part...

Subject: Important Walton Co. Commissioner's Mtg.
Date: Aug 13, 2007 7:47 PM
Dear Friends:

We are asking for your support to attend an important Commissioners'
meeting tomorrow Aug 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the County Municipal Building on 331. The Commissioners will be voting on whether or not to approve of the spraying of our beaches with the organophosphate, Dibrom Naled,
for dog flies. Organophosphates, which include naled,malathion and
chlorpyrifos, are a highly toxic class of pesticides that affect the central nervous,cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Some organophosphates have been linked to birth defects and cancer.

According to all the research, Dibrom (naled) is an insecticide/pesticide with a toxicity equal to Chlordane, Dursban and Diazinon. These three pesticides have been taken off the market as being too hazardous to human health, and Dibrom is equally toxic in lab studies.

It has been proposed to spray it from a low-flying plane across our beaches
which allows the droplets of pesticide to drift for miles and be inhaled deep
into the lungs of unsuspecting sunbathers and homeowners, etc. Dibrom naled has been shown to kill foraging honeybees and migrating monarch butterflies.

If you need additional information, please check the website that has been set up by the Coalition for a Non-Toxic Environment:

www.fixsowal.com

Thank you for your support. Your presence counts!!!!in helping to stop the spraying.

For the COALITION,

Susanne Morrone

Dog Fly Permission Letter. The Mosquito Control District is requesting that the county sign a release letter allowing the spray plane to fly and spray for dog flies when the circumstances dictate the need for spray. I attended a meeting last week at the Mosquito Control office regarding this issue. Quite a few residents have questioned the safety of the aerial spraying of dibrom naled. Here is a synopsis of what I learned at the meeting.

The plane is used when a test of the beach results in the tester having more
than 5 flies land on him or her within a minute. That event triggers the plane
to fly as soon as possible, often the next day. Unlike the mosquito spray truck, there is no opportunity to give the public advance notice of the plane?s intended flight.

The Dog Fly Aerial Spray program is provided by the State at no cost to the
community. Dog flies originate primarily from animal husbandry activities, e.g., farming There has been little success in addressing the problem at its source.
Dog flies are not a health hazard like mosquitoes. They do not carry diseases.
The State provides this service because they are a nuisance that can impact the quality of life and tourism.
The chemical from the plane, Dibrom Naled is toxic. When sprayed it can kill
bees, migrating monarch butterflies and ?fly sized flying insects?. It can also
impact fish in shallow ponds.

The State representatives at the meeting insisted the chemical is not toxic to humans, including infants due to its low dosage. He also indicated Dibrom Naled is the most effective killer, that less toxic methods using garlic, bats,
dragon flies, etc. are not as effective. It seemed to be the State?s position
that there is no equally effective, less toxic alternative to Dibrom Naled. The
SW Mosquito Control District indicated it was very pro-active in utilizing
natural solutions whenever possible and that it monitored ?vector? control
programs throughout the country for the most safe solutions.

8. Dibrom Naled, when sprayed, has a 1/2 life which remains effective 5 to 9
hours up to 18 hours max.
9.A citizen?s organization called the ?Coalition for Non-Toxic Environment?
raised several concerns including a study being conducted in Brevard county which seems to indicate there may be health related issues. The State was familiar with the study and indicated it has not been concluded.

Citizens raised the issue of the unknown cumulative effects of the use
of pesticides and the potential adverse effects of multiple exposures from different sources (e.g., the spray truck and the plane). They felt the current studies were too short term and there was not enough data on potential long term exposure impacts. Individuals also expressed concern about the legality
and morality of people being exposed to a pesticide without any choice or consent. Some individuals indicated they felt the spray program was critical to enjoying the outdoors during dog fly season (Aug thru Oct).

10. The State representatives indicated they would convey the public
comments to the appropriate state agencies for review.

If you have concerns or questions about the aerial spray program you may want to attend the meeting.

Special Exceptions Proposed Ordinance. I have received several emails from
members concerned that this proposal creates an avenue for allowing special
exceptions to the Land Development Code to by- pass the normal public hearing process for development activity. The Ordinance, on its face, appears to justify that concern. I have suggested to the county that the preamble needs to reflect the actual purpose of the ordinance.

Here is some background info. Two years ago the county amended the Comprehensive Plan to establish a borrow pit as a ?special exception? land use. A ?special exception? involves a use that is out of the norm and requires special conditions and restrictions not generally contemplated in ordinary developments. Currently, the only authorized Special Exception is a borrow pit.

The intent of the proposed Ordinance is to provide a procedure for processing Special Exception developments. According to county staff a designation of a Special Exception? involves an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. The designation would therefore go through the required public hearings and the final review by the State Department of Community Affairs.

I will certainly listen at the meeting to see if any of my understandings are
incorrect.

Angelos. For the Eastern Lake residents, this development was continued from the last meeting. It is the first quasi-judicial item on the agenda and should be concluded in this meeting.

The Commissioner and Planning Director?s email address is at the end of this
email if you want to comment or get further into on any item on the agenda.

Anita Page
SWCC Executive Director

WALTON COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
August 14, 2007