Marin Maven » Stop the Spray

Anti-Pesticide Alert

marinmaven — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:46:00 +0000

As I told you on April 2nd, Assemblyperson Noreen Evans is proposing a “consensus document” or CDFA on pesticide use in Sonoma and Napa counties. There are 4 major things wrong with the document.

1. Document authors claim that all stakeholders were involved but they excluded public health expert and citizen activists who are concerned about the exposure to pesticides and our eco-system.

2. Proposes releasing millions of sterile moths with no data on how it will effect the eco-system.

3. Proposes the use of permethrin a neurotoxic goo put in trees that was thought to be one of the chemicals that caused Gulf War Syndrome.Permethrin is toxic to honey bees, fish, aquatic insects, crayfish and shrimp. Insects will develop resistance to it over time and for this reason it is a questionable eradication method

4. Proposes twist ties in urban areas. Twist ties were only designed and used for agricultural use and they have not been tested in highly populated areas.

While this document only applies to Sonoma and Napa counties, we in Marin and even San Francisco eat and drink products grown in those counties. If passed it may be used as a model in Marin County.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman
assemblymember.huffman@asm.ca.gov
(415) 479-4920

Senator Mark Leno
senator.leno@senate.ca.gov
(415) 479-6612

Please call by Thursday, April 23rd. We need to halt this program NOW

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Happy Post-St. Stoopid Day

marinmaven — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:02:54 +0000

Yesterday, my Facebook Buddy, Barack Obama, confirmed me as a cousin yesterday. This meant I was also related to Dick Cheney, was Dick Cheney (!!!), or it was just inexplicably goofy April Fools Joke.

It is true, I have a black thumb, yet I want a victory garden of raised beds and a drip system. Getting wood, drip system materials, and putting together a low maintenance garden is a mystery to me. The fear is that we can invest money in it in this economy when there are black thumbs involved. Can anyone help me? Maven will highlight anyone who can help on this site.

Stop the Spray Marin wants us to tell our State Representatives, Mark Leno and Jared Huffman to let them a spot at the table when Assemblyperson from Sonoma/Napa Noreen Evans gathers together Agricultural representatives, the Farm Bureau, and various environmental groups to construct a “consensus document” to the CDFA and USDA. Stop the Spray Marin and Maven is concerned that there are no public health experts in the process.

Please contact your Assemblymember and State Senator to tell them that STSM is an important stakeholder in guiding the future of the LBAM eradication program and that you want a representative at all future North Bay Stakeholder meetings.

Assemblymember Jared Huffman
916-319-2006

Senator Mark Leno
916-651-4003

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Poisons, Poisons Everywhere Edition

marinmaven — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:03:21 +0000

A lot of developments are happening on the Light Brown Apple Moth and it is pretty disturbing. It seems that when the State announced that they would halt spraying over urban areas, it didn’t mean the entire program halted. They are still going to spray in undisclosed areas. The planned ground eradication programs are troubling. This program may include truck fogging and splats on thousands of telephone poles with permethrin, a neurotoxin that has been shown to toxic to humans and bees. These splats can easily blow off in windy conditions and find their way into our yards and playgrounds. It is clear that we need to re-engage and renew the fight.

Next Monday, July 28th, there is going to be a Town Hall Meeting and Potluck at the First United Methodist Church
9 Ross Valley Drive, San Rafael, CA at 6pm. Medical expert Dr. Ann Haiden and Frank Egger will be speaking. There will be a short documentary shown. For information contact Craig Slater at 721-7241 or craigyes@sbcglobal.net. This is sponsored by Marin Peace and Justice Coalition and First United Methodist Church.

This will be an excellent way to prepare yourself to participate in a public scoping meeting in Sacramento by writing a letter or appearing in person.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
California Department of Food and Agriculture
1220 N Street (auditorium)
Sacramento, CA 95814
Your written response must be sent at the earliest
possible date, but not later than 30 days after
receipt of this notice to: Jim Rains, Staff
Environmental Scientist, California Department of Food
and Agriculture, 1220 N St., Sacramento, CA, 95814.
Fax (916) 654-1018 or email jrains@cdfa.ca.gov

SUPPORT AB 977

Did you know that California has a pesticide pre-emption law? That means that no ordinance or regulation of local government may prohibit or in anyway attempt to regulate any matter relating to the sale, transportation, or use of pesticides. Bottom line, California prohibits local citizens from protecting their health even if it is a mere neighbor notification law. We have already seen in the case of LBAM, that California isn’t really thinking through the public health consequences for it citizens. It is time for local control.

State Assemblyperson Fiona Ma has introduced AB 977 to overturn that state law that prohibits local control of pesticides. On August 4th, 2008 the bill will be heard by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. It is important that this legislation doesn’t get referred to the Senate Agriculture committee where it will die a certain death. We need to write and call our local and state representatives and urge our neighbors and friends to do so too.

E-Mail Assemblymember Jared Huffman
Email Senator Carole Migden

SPARTINA?

Activists have just learned of the annual spraying of toxic pesticides along the shorelines of the Bay Area in order to fight an invasive cord grass, Spartina. Which has been found to choke channels that the clapper rail uses and displaces the native pickleweed marsh which is habitat of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse. The solution? Spray chemicals that cause, “bleeding and congested lungs” in rabbits dermally exposed to imazapyr. Save the salt marsh harvest mouse by poisoning! Brilliant Plan!

They are spraying imazapyr which is corrosive to the eyes and can cause irreversible damage. It can persist in the soil for over a year. It has been shown to move readily in soil contaminating surface and ground water following ground and aerial forestry applications.
“Adverse effects found in laboratory animals after chronic exposure to imazapyr include the following: fluid accumulation in the lungs of female mice, kidney cysts in male mice, abnormal blood formation in
the spleen of female rats, an increase in the number of brain and thyroid cancers in male rats, and an increase in the number of tumors and cancers of the adrenal gland in female rats.”

They are also spraying Glyphosate.

You can contact the folks in charge of the spraying.

THOUGHTS

Isn’t it amazing how much junk is being sprayed without knowing it? It is often where we hike, bike, and camp with our friends and family. It can get in our water, effect our food supply via messing with the bee population. They want to go into our neighborhoods. They tried to spray our neighborhoods, now they are trying to push questionable ground methods.

In the past couple of years I have lost two dear people to pancreatic cancer (one of them recently), which has a terrible survival rate because there is no screening for it and by the time it is detected it has often spread to other organs. Just a casual google shows a whole listing of scientific articles linking “occupational exposure” to pesticides and pancreatic cancer. There are other cancer risks as well.

http://database.healthandenvironment.org/index.cfm?id=729

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0854/is_3_23/ai_n18609867

I believe the calculations California are making are completely skewed. They make the short term expediency of using chemicals for the Agricultural Business interests more important than the health and welfare of our people, animals, and beneficial insects that help agriculture. They ignore the cost of clean water, air, and health care required as a result of these pesticides.

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Post Stop The Spray Edition

marinmaven — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:38:23 +0000

Don’t Spray on Me

Yesterday I went marching with 1000 others on the Golden Gate bridge against the Spraying of Checkmate. I am still working on the Video from the event.

Despite, Carole Migden being able to get Arnold Schwartzenegger to agree to testing, spraying is still scheduled in August. Checkout stopthespraymarin.org, and find out how you can put pressure on the State and Federal government to do an EIR (state level) and an EIS (federal level). Ultimately, our goal should be to stop the spraying period. Today, June 5th, Mothers of Marin Against the Spray will be having a Play Date in the Park/Letter Writing Campaign Party at Corte Madera Town Park from 3pm to 5pm.

If you haven’t already, please contact the Governor, Nancy Pelosi, Lynn Woolsey, Barbara Boxer, and Diane Feinstein. Let them know that we refuse to be guinea pigs and don’t want to have our children breathe in Checkmate.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160
Address:
Governor Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, California 95814

Nancy Pelosi
Phone: 415-556-4862 or 202-225-4965
Fax: 202-225-4188
450 Golden Gate Avenue
14th Floor
San Francisco, California 94102

Lynn Woolsey
Phone: 415-507-9554 or 202-225-5161
Fax: 415-507-9601 or 202-225-5163
1050 Northgate Drive
Suite 354
San Rafael, California 94903

Barbara Boxer
Phone: 415-403-0100 or 202-224-3553
Fax: 202-224-0454
1700 Montgomery Street
Suite 240
San Francisco, California 94111

Dianne Feinstein
Phone: 415-393-0707 or 202-224-3841
Fax: 415-393-0710 or 202-228-3954
One Post Street
Suite 2450
San Francisco, California 94104

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Stop The Spray News

marinmaven — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:56:14 +0000

Stop the Spray March & Rally

This Saturday (March 31th) there will be a march on the Golden Gate Bridge to Stop The Spraying for the Light Brown Moth. At 9 AM Folks South of the Golden Gate will meet at Bridge Parking Lot– Park (car pool) at East Battery parking lot off Lincoln Blvd just below. Marinites will meet at Vista Point Parking Lot. Parking information is available. Marchers from each side will walk from their meeting place single file into the center of the bridge and then walk back to go to the rally at the west end of Crissy Field, between Mason Street and Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center.

Stop The Spray Live

On Sunday, June 6th, there is going to be a benefit concert in Sausalito with Bob Weir and a whole host of musicians and environmental celebrities.
ickets are $20 for General Admission; $10 Students; $100 Priority Seating; $500 Premiere Seating (front rows and Back Stage Party with artists and leaders!). Reservations: 415-289-1001, info@searchforthecause.org For more info: www.StopTheSprayMarin.org

Yikes! One Reason to Stop the Spray…

The Marin IJ reports that Kentfield-based osteopathic physician Dr. Ann Haiden could do bad things to the respiratory and endocrine systems in humans, and there is certainly not enough information to say that Checkmate is safe to spray on humans. This is at the heart of all the energy and passion behind this movement. We have evidence of negative effects after it was sprayed over Monterey and Santa Cruz and we still have no access to the ingredients of what they are going to spray on us.

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