A.G. Kawamura: California agriculture chief defends moth spraying

EVERY DAY, in almost every part of the state, the California Department of Food and Agriculture battles invasive species that threaten our health and well-being, our environment, our vital food supplies and our ...

[Poisoned in Santa Cruz]

Mr. Kawamura is lying! Many of us that have been injured by CheckMate in Santa Cruz have been to our doctors and had our injuries documented. This is evidence, Mr. Kawamura! You have received it!

For actual information, see
http://www.stopthespray.org/
http://www.lbamspray.info/

[Roy Upton]

I applaud Secretary Kawamura and CDFA's experienced PR advisors for a masterful and very impactful distortion of the facts. If I knew noting about LBAM and the spray I would believe this amazing rhetoric. Unfortunately, as a victim within the spray zone, I have dedicated 10-14 hours a day since being sprayed to learning everything i can about this program. LBAM should probably be called the "Eats very little of anything moth" because that is what it does; it is a superficial leaf roller whose very survival depends on the health of the plant; superficial means it nibbles. It is closely related to many native California moths that cause no damage to native anything. Similarly, in countries where LBAM has become naturalized, LBAM is not considered a pest of significance to agriculture crops at all. Contrary to Secretary Kawamura's assertions, LBAM presents no environmental threat whatsoever and is why more than 17 environmental and consumer health groups including the Sierra Club and Pesticide Action Network of North America, whom Secretary Kawamura referred to, OPPOSE this program. The true motivation behind this program on the part of the state is funding. With an eradication program, the State is able to tap into State and Federal "emergency" funds. If eradication is not needed they receive no funds. It is in CDFA's fiscal interest to keep eradication programs going indefinately—that is the bottomline purpose of this program.

[Secretary is dead wrong]

This editorial is filled with false statements and erroneous assumptions and it should be retracted immediately! The NRDC does not endorse or condone this program, nor does PANNA! Secretary Kawamura should be ashamed of discrediting these two organizations and his statements should be retracted and an apology should be made. Both NRDC and PANNA have issued statements outlining their concerns with the CDFA's eradication program, particularly because the health effects of the aerial spraying method are not tested thoroughly. Sec. Kawamura just proved that he is not above lying to get this spray program pushed through. Follow the money trail all the way to the Federal gov't and you will soon find out that this program is being funded by the USDA. This is the same institution who just created the largest beef disaster in history because they don't put enough money into safety and inspection. The same thing is happening with this aerial spray method- not enough testing for safety has been done and their product safety was effected and people got sick and animals died. How can we trust government agencies to do their job when show their incompetence again and again. We can't! Don't trust this process because the man at the head of it, AG Kawamura, is lying to you directly in this statement, and will continue lying to you. He's made these same false statements since August 2007. It's time to stop the insanity!

[bobby]

PANNA is absolutely against this aerial spray program.

This entire piece is a propaganda piece that is put on by media news an organization that deals with large corporate and government agencies to promote atrocities on people, just as the Soviet Union progaganda did years ago.

[jenny m]

Since the CDFA is saying they're thinking of switching to the pheremone pesticide used in NZ for the program in the Bay Area (instead of the aptly-named Checkmate used to contaminate the Santa Cruz area), it might be useful for us to look at how well the program worked in NZ. They sprayed two towns for 3 years. The affected population was less than the total population of the counties sprayed last fall in CA, yet there were 3888 official complaints filed, as reported in the NZ Herald. The spraying was not successful eradicating the moth there, which was only eradicated when sterile moths were introduced. It is especially ludicrous for Kawamura to pretend that they are doing this pesticide spraying to protect our environment, as there were numerous dead birds (not to mention dead cats)after the spraying done in SC and Monteray, and a disgusting scum on the water, as reported by a Santa Cruz City Councilman at the Assemblyman Huffman's hearing held in San Rafael a couple of week ago.

[Alice]

A.G. Kawamura’s editorial supporting the aerial spraying contains misleading statements. For example, he implies that Pesticide Action Network of North America would support the planned aerial spraying program. However, the Pesticide Action Network of North America (PAN North America) does not support further aerial spraying. Specially, PAN North America’s webpage on the light brown apple moth in California ( http://www.panna.org/resources/lbam ) states:

“Pesticide Action Network's position
PAN North America is calling for an open, transparent and comprehensive review of all least toxic alternatives and for expedited research, development and implementation of less invasive approaches such as biological control and integrated pest management (IPM) that exclude use of organophosphate pesticides. PAN supports the use of pheromones (in, for example, ground applications) and other ecologically sound organic IPM approaches as far preferable to and ultimately more effective than use of dangerous organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos. However, PAN does not endorse further aerial applications of Checkmate products due to questions regarding inert ingredients in these products (their actual concentrations and possible adverse health impacts). We also question the efficacy of aerial spraying in general, the eradication goal itself, and the lack of complete transparency from CDFA. We call for precautionary steps by CDFA and analysis by an independent science panel before any further spraying. Full disclosure of the extent of the LBAM infestation, management strategies and health risks must be shared in open discussion with the affected communities before further wide-scale spraying resumes.”

For information about the health hazards from the recent aerial moth spraying, please see the following links from PAN North America’s webpage at http://www.panna.org/resources/lbam#resources :
-Pesticide Watch news release on spray illness reports (01/04/08)-http://www.panna.or g/files/pwefAerialSprayIlness2 0080104.pdf

-Chemist's concerns re: inerts - http://www.panna.org/documents/urbanskyCheckm...

-Moth spraying likely to harm more than help "Ask the Bugman," Richard Fagerlund, Feb. 23,2008 -http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin /article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/23 /HO4OUNNC6.DTL&hw=Light+Br own+Apple+Moth&sn=001& sc=1000

To protect the health of people in the areas targeted for spraying, especially the health of those with health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to very low levels of chemicals, please oppose the planned aerial spraying and advocate for safe alternatives.

[Jan]

Well, my dears, Kawamura using the words "our beloved" Central Coast cypress, redwoods and oaks is illustrative of the depths of manipulation to which these people will use our taxpayers' money. Please, folks in Marin and The Greater Bay Area, work with the people on the Central Coast. Don't reinvent the wheel. United we Stand. Truth is stronger than lies. Go to lbamspray.com ; stopthespray.org (sign the petitions); 1Hope.org . Get informed. Get active. Work together.

[one of hundreds made ill]

Wow, is this what you get for $497,000,the amount the CDFA is paying its PR agency to put lipstick on this pig? The myriad holes and lies in this brief editorial... remarkable! For accurate reporting, please Google "apple moth" or "aerial spray" and search recent news (maybe even subsrive to Google alerts). The SF Chronicle ran three front-page stories in the past two weeks or so, and also an editorial that was strongly against the CDFA's misguided campaign. A columnist in the Chronicle, Richard Fagerlund, has also done a couple of great columns, including one on the many toxic inert ingredients in the stuff Mr. Kawamura and his colleagues sprayed on children, women and men in Santa Cruz and Monterey (the reason 643 people reported getting sick -- just the tip of the iceberg).

[MothTruth]

Get the facts. www.LBAMspray.com . Santa Cruz has done much research. They are ahead of you with buring eyes, breathing problems, lung irritations, headaches, pet health problems, children asthmas problems.

Don't be fooled. This is not what it seems. Does your gut tell you it's wrong? Of course it does.. trust it.

CDFA just spent $500,000 to sway public opinion. They don't have alot of faith in our intelligence.

CDFA has some big money friends who want this. The fight has just begun. THEY want to do this regardless of the health consequences and health negative reactions to us.

Have you noticed they are not listening? Isn't that a little strange? With so much outrage from the people proposed to be sprayed and the negative health reactions to the spray that was done.

Go to www.LBAMspray.com , www.1hope.org , Pesticide watch, California Alliance to Stop the Spray, www.cassonline.org

The City council members and all 5 supervisors of Santa Cruz and SC county voted against aerial spraying of this chemical mix. Albany unanimously voted against this. Is that enough to stop it ...NO. We need YOU the People to get the facts.

Get your cities to write "rights based ordinances" against this. It's a start. City Councils Vote against this!.
Draw up a city ordinance stating no pesticide spraying on anyones private property or aerial spraying .
Speak up against this and speak up for your rights.
Our rights are being violated for a few who would gain.

This moth is not a dangerous pest. No other country considers it a threat to crops. It has lived for many years in many places with no significant damage.

Natural predators keep it in check when we don't upset the natural order of things by using chemicals that harm this. It was deliberately catagorized in such a way so the State gov could call it an emergency , then get the federal government and homeland security to fund this. They didn't have to do an environmental impact or health report by calling it an emergency.

You should be outraged that such a thing would even be considered. Aerial spraying chemicals in the AIR that we all breath. Spraying every man woman and child. Should you be concerned about the growing lungs and health of babies. YOU BETCHA. get the facts.

This chemical was made to last in the air for 30 to 90 days. I experienced it for 6 weeks burning my eyes for days and then off and on. A metallic tast in my mouth, both of which I have never experienced before. We are wise beings but sometimes big money and profits can cause a blind eye and weak ethics. This is a case of exactly that.
5 Legislators are trying to change this from ever happening like this again. Read the bills being written. WRITE to the legislators to support these bills to get passed. They will be voted on. They will get pressure from the powers that be. Tell them you want them voted in.
We need to change the laws so this can never happen again.

www.democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a13/pre...

Read the bills. Write to all legislators asking them to support this bills.
No Spray on US!

[Jacqueline Capitola CA]

Having met AG Kawamura personally at the Santa Cruz meeting, I can tell you he is a bold-faced liar. Why not ask him about the money trail that leads from the manufacturer of Suterra, AG Kawamura (himself), and other growers all the way up to Gov. Schwarzenegger. He will not provide an explanation. He is a grower in Southern California and has no interest in protecting our citizen rights against pesticide spraying. Here's a link:

http://www.arnoldwatch.org/special_interests/...

A.G. Kawamura, Food and Agriculture Secretary
Kawamura donated $21,200 to Arnold. He is a past chairman of the Western Growers Association, which has been a vocal opponent of legislation protecting farmworkers and the environment enacted over the past several years.
The Food and Agriculture Department is responsible for environmental, public safety and other regulations governing agricultural interests. Kawamura's appointment is incongruous - it places a man who ran an anti-regulation organization in charge of development and implementation of regulatory safeguards. Farmworkers, and the environment in farming communities, are bound to suffer when agribusiness interests take the forefront at the department.
Among the legislation opposed by the Western Growers was last year's SB 700, which required farmers to obtain pollution permits for certain diesel powered field machinery. Previously, agricultural interests were exempt from the emission rules that require permits for other industries and Central Valley air quality was greatly compromised as a result.
Agricultural interests gave Arnold's campaign committees more than half a million dollars.

[louise wallock]

This spraying is unnecessary. Please refer to New Zealand's approach to the LBAM pest. Note: they have been dealing with this for a long time and their agricultural industry has survived, in fact, prospered in spite of this moth. Your panic attack approach is unnecessary; you have many other choices. It is intolerable to spray. The people who vote for you have done their research; we say NO TO THE SPRAYING!!