Public Hearing on LBAM Eradication Program - Sept. 30, 9:30 AM in San Carlos

An important public hearing is coming up Tuesday. Don´t forget to question the answers at this one. Be like our kids and keep asking why until you get some meaningful answers... Details below:

Jackie Speier - 12th District - part of SF, South SF, San Mateo area, Redwood City, Pacifica and more

Anatomy of a Decision: A Roundtable Discussion
about the LBAM for the public to ask questions.

WHO: Jackie Speier, United States Congresswoman, requests open, public discussion of the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) eradication program.

WHEN: Tuesday September 30th at 9:30AM to Noon

WHERE: Samtrans Building, 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, Auditorium
(seats over 60 people)

Please Check Jackie Speier's website for any date changes for this meeting

In attendance:
Jackie Speier, United States Congresswoman (MC)
United States Department of Food and Agriculture
United States Environmental Protection Agency
California Department of Food and Agriculture
California Department of Pesticide Control
James Carey, Ph.D., Professor and Program Director Biodemographic Determinants of Life Span, Department of Entomology, University of California Davis
Daniel Harder, Ph.D., Director, U.C. Santa Cruz Arboretum
Frank G. Zalom, Ph.D., Professor and Former Vice Chair Department of Entomology, Former Director UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program, University of California Davis

Audience participation:
Concerned citizens
Concerned scientists
Concerned doctors and nurses
Concerned attorneys
Concerned public officials
Concerned farmers

Preliminary agenda:

Introductory comments (kept to a minimum)

Introductions

Audience questions:

What does it mean to "eradicate" the LBAM? When do we know that something is "eradicated?"

When did the USDA realize the moth was in California?

How long given public and government documents has the moth been in California?

How many hundreds, thousands or millions of dollars in crop damage or plant damage has this moth created?

"No one person desires to be directly sprayed and directly ingest a time-released synthetic substance coming from a plane or truck" so given this fact - Outdoor night workers/citizens include the teamster's union for garbage workers, emergency medical and fire workers, public utility workers, public bus drivers, police officers, toll booth, valet service attendants, taxi drivers, restaurant goers, movie goers - will want to be indoors and sheltered during an LBAM spray. What are the economic costs of such a shut down?

Who made the decision to spray?

Physicians with special expertise in respiratory illnesses or immune system deficiencies helped make the decision to aerial spray, is this correct? These physicians were active members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)? Which Entomologists were on the TAC? Was there anyone on TAC who had experience of living in an urban area that had previously been sprayed by a government pest control mandated program and had knowledge of the health outcomes of that human population post spraying schedules?

Where there experts - not associated with the USDA, and at the same time not associated project funded by the USDA - recruited to specifically dissent from likely USDA/CDFA and industry recommendations?

What other choices (other than spraying) were seriously analyzed and consider? Where are the data results of this study and in-depth analysis outcomes? What evidence did the TAC receive? Where is that list of evidence for public record? Were ALL the TAC meetings public and where were these meetings held? Were these meetings recorded for public record?

In spite of the direct exposure to children and adults with the spray substance given the repeated spraying over a human population starting at 8pm - were California laws regarding pesticides and EPA ingredient regulations, EPA laws and EPA warnings waived under federal law for this project?

Is it possible to eradicate the LBAM? If so, how? If not, what should California do to control the moth?

Should pesticide formulas remain secret for the sole benefit of corporations when applied directly over urban populations including direct spraying of infants, children and elderly as happened in Santa Cruz and Monterey?

Should credible, medical surveillance systems be in place before spraying is conducted and if adverse health impacts are reported who should pay for treatments of the persons adversely impacted? Who should pay for treatment of the medically uninsured?

Did the USDA and CDFA understand that large percentages of Bay Area children and elderly of whom have existing health problems could be impacted negatively by the heavy spraying of synthetic pheromones and repeated applications?

What lessons were learned as a result of aerial spraying experience in Santa Cruz/Monterey and the Bay Area?

Should Congress do anything in light of the LBAM experience in Santa Cruz/Monterey and the Bay Area?

Bottom Line - Has the Light Brown Apple Moth been classified incorrectly?