Stop the Spray San Francisco

Stop the Spray San Francisco
July 21, 2008
In This Issue
STS-SF Meeting on Thursday
Q&A 101 Flyer
Take Back Local Control
More Madness...

1. SIGN
THE PETITION
2. SPREAD
THE WORD
3. CONTACT
THE GOVERNOR
4. CONTACT
FEDERAL OFFICIALS
5. ATTEND
6. VOLUNTEER
7. DONATE

JOIN OUR
SOCIAL NETWORK
SPRAY ALERT
stopthespray.org
cassonline.org
lbamspray.com
sprayalert.org
playnotspray.org
momasunite.wordpress.com
Join Our Mailing List


Dear (Contact First Name),

Even though the smoke from all the wildfires has finally lifted, we're still encountering the California Department of Food & Agriculture's (CDFA) smokescreen!

We've still got lots of concerns about their toxic ground program (which may include truck fogging of same or similar pesticide formulas and permethrin splats on thousands of telephone poles in our neighborhoods - permethrin being a neurotoxin and toxic to bees and humans) and how they will define which "forested, agricultural and rural" areas will be targets of aerial spraying still planned for the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM).

It's a waiting game, and they may think we'll all lose interest and go away, but they are mistaken.

We're researching and gearing up for the next phase of this effort, which includes working to reverse State Preemption of Local Authority to Regulate Pesticide, support ecologically sound methods of pest and weed control, and promote biodiverse, organic farming.

And you can help!

Stop the Spray-SF General Meeting
Thursday Night, July 24th
6:00 - 7:30 pm
776 Haight Street at Scott (Sophia Healing Center)

Come for information or to take action.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 101

There is a lot of confusion in the community about where the Light Brown Apple Moth Eradication Program stands. Many people mistakenly believe the whole program is over since the State announced it was removing aerial spraying over urban areas. Our friends at Stop the Spray Marin have created a Q & A Flyer to address some of the questions that have been arising in the community. Please help us clear up the confusion. Download and distribute or forward this flyer to anyone you know who is following this issue.


TAKE BACK LOCAL CONTROL OF PESTICIDES

Join a growing movement across the state working to protect public health by taking back the right of local governments to control pesticide use.

California has a pesticide pre-emption law, which says that "no ordinance or regulation of local government-- may prohibit or in any way attempt to regulate any matter relating to the registration, sale, transportation, or use of pesticides," This law prevents towns, cities and counties from making local pesticide laws to protect public health, such as requiring neighbor notification about pesticide use or deciding that certain pesticides are too dangerous to be used locally.

State Assemblywomen Fiona Ma (SF District 12) introduced AB977 to overturn the state law that prohibits local control on pesticides. The bill may be heard by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee August 4, 2008. We need to ensure the bill stays in the Environmental Quality Committee and does not get referred to the Senate Ag Committee where it would be certain to face instant death. You can help!

THIS WEEK, please call local and state representatives and urge them to vote to overturn the pesticide pre-emption law by supporting AB977. And please urge your friends and family to do the same, for a healthier California!

To take action, go here.

WILL THIS MADNESS EVER END?

We hate to be the bearers of more bad news, but, if the LBAM spray wasn't enough to worry about, we have just learned that the annual spraying of toxic pesticides along the shorelines of the Bay Area, done by the Spartina Project, is fully underway. The first applications of this program were scheduled to begin early this month in Marin County, including aerial spraying in Alameda County last week, and the San Leandro and Hayward shores this week.

Please find more details at the link below, and consider urging the people responsible for this program to put a stop to it before they poison aquatic and other life forms in these fragile habitats.

The map of areas to be treated (a few do not involve pesticides - see schedule for details):

http://www.spartina.org/maps/maps/2008-2010_Treatment_Sites.gif

This is what they're spraying (imazapyr and glyphosate):

http://dontspraycalifornia.org/imazapyr.pdf

and

http://www.alternatives2toxics.org/catsoldsite/round.htm


For contact information for the people responsible for this:
http://www.spartina.org/about.htm#staff


Thank you for your support!

Michelle Darby, Chair
Stop the Spray - San Francisco Team

FEATURED ACTION OF THE WEEK
TAKE BACK LOCAL CONTROL OF PESTICIDES!
Join a growing movement across the state working to protect public health by taking back the right of local governments to control pesticide use. Help pass resolutions supporting local control and make calls immediately to support Assembly Bill 977, introduced by Assembly-woman Fiona Ma, that overturns the state law which prohibits local control of pesticides.
MORE INFO
Featured Event
Special Town Hall and Potluck
Aerial Spraying and Moth Eradication
"It's Not Over!"
WHEN:
Monday July 28 in San Rafael
6:00 pm Potluck Dinner
7:30 pm Town Hall Forum
WHERE:
First United Methodist Church
9 Ross Valley Drive, San Rafael
Come for dinner then join leading activist Frank Egger and medical expert Dr. Ann Haiden for an enlightening update on the Stop the Spray campaign.
The State of California recently postponed and modified its plan to conduct aerial spraying of the Bay Area, due to enormous public outrage and opposition from local officials, environmentalists, scientists and doctors. But the State still plans to eradicate the Light Brown Apple Moth. Long-time Fairfax council member and environmental leader Frank Egger will tell how a wonderful grassroots campaign continues to fight California's powerful state-sponsored agricultural industry, including plans for litigation. Dr Ann Haiden's presentation will draw from her recent report on health hazards of particles and toxins in the spray, and will cover public safety issues. A short documentary film will also be shown.
For information contact Craig Slater at 721-7241 or craigyes [at] sbcglobal.net.
Sponsored by Marin Peace and Justice Coalition and First United Methodist Church

put up by pres. of