Here is the other issue with pesticides that never seems to occur to proponents; improper application. And this is very very common. Two years ago while I was standing by the road at night (doing some frog inventory) there was an unannounced spraying in Framingham and I took a direct hit. There are a hundred stories like this.
I don't want to hear any more pablum about the "slightly toxic" effects on statistical subjects when used according to textbook protocol. I want to hear them talk about the real effects on real organisms when used the way this stuff is really used. Nicola Cataldo ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Segal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Nicola Cataldo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 8:22 AM Subject: Outrageous! > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > Subject: Mass. Mosquito Control Unauthorized Insectide spraying, Barton Rd, Stow, 7/29/03 8:15pm > Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 02:55:59 -0400 > From: "B. Ernst" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Stow Board of Health" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > CC: "Sam Wong/HBOH" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > "B J Ernst" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Marcia, Deanna, Gordon, Terry, & Jack, > > Re: Massachusetts Mosquito Control Unauthorized Insecticide Spraying, > Barton Rd., Stow, MA, 7/29/03, 8:15pm > > Dear Marcia and all, > > On Tuesday evening, July 29, 2003 at approximately 8:15pm a Massachusetts > Mosquito Control truck, Official State Mass. Plate entered Barton Rd., Stow > from Hunter Ave in Hudson heading North on Barton Rd with a large machine > spraying insecticide onto our property, onto people, animals and children > walking on the road and in their front yards and onto the road itself. In > order to protect ourselves from the immediate air suspended pesticide > emissions we quickly closed up our home and shut of the air fans. Our pets > were out in the yard and we were unable to bring them in right away and they > were sprayed as well. > > Barbara Jean Ernst quickly ran to her car and chased the vehicle down Barton > Rd. honking until the vehicle stopped almost a mile down the road. She > informed the driver, who claims his name is Wayne, that Stow does not do > broadcast street spraying of pesticides for mosquito control and that our > neighbors and us have "No Spray" orders registered with Massachusetts > Mosquito Control and that he should stop spraying our street immediately. > The driver claimed he was hired by the town of Hudson to spray and he said > he didn't realize that he had entered into Stow. The driver also did not > turn off the pesticide sprayer when Barbara Jean approached the vehicle and > she had to insist that he shut it off as she was being sprayed directly and > exposed as significant levels of the pesticide. The driver who was spraying > the pesticides with both of his windows down was very rude, obstinate and at > one point seemed as if he was going to get out of his vehicle and physically > threaten Ms. Ernst. Neighbors came out and offered support for Ms. Ernst > and the driver/state pesticide applicator settled down and turned his > vehicle around and headed back towards Hudson. The pesticide sprayer was > still making that distinctive grinding sound so we're not sure if he did > indeed shut off the sprayer and spray that section of Barton Rd. again as he > returned back to Hudson out of spite/retaliation. > > We called the incident in to the Worcester DEP emergency response center > immediately and at 8:45pm and we received a call back from a Paul Spado. He > informed us that there was nothing he could do but he would contact both the > Stow and Hudson Boards of Health the following morning (7/30) and report the > incident for them to take further action locally. We asked him who we might > speak to to remediate the unlawful insecticide spraying of our property, > near our drinking wells, our organic lawn and plants and he said he didn't > know. He recommended that we contact our local Boards of Health for Stow & > Hudson to address the matter regarding protecting our health, our drinking > water supply/wells, our property, our families and children, our lake which > the pesticides will enter affecting all of the wells on Lake Boon as well as > the wildlife and environment around the lake. > > We called and left a message at both the Stow and Hudson Board of Health > regarding the matter Tuesday evening requesting a response and assistance in > this matter. We also called both Stow & Hudson police to report the matter. > Stow sent out an officer but Hudson did not but gave us the number for the > Mosquito Control. > > We also contacted Massachusetts Mosquito Control in Northboro at > 508-393-3055 but they were closed after 3:30pm and there was not way to > leave a message. > > Some of our concerns are as follows: > 1. We would like to know what was sprayed and did either the Stow and/or > Hudson Boards of Health know that the spraying was taken place and were > people notified in Hudson and Stow around Lake Boon and other areas where > the pesticide spraying took place. We know that we were not notified > whatsoever that it would be taking place. We would also like to get > information on the insecticide including a MSDS sheet and product label > document. We would like to know if the "No Spray" registered residents were > sprayed anyway as we were. > > 2. We would like to confirm who the driver was, and if indeed he was > authorized to spray in the area that he was spraying. We ask this because > when we called the Mass. Mosquito Control Spray line and checked the web > site the only street that was supposed to be sprayed that evening was listed > as Ashland St.which is near Hudson Center (Rt. 62 & Rt. 85 intersection) and > no where near 210 Barton Rd. Stow and Lake Boon and Lake Boon Watershed > (1027 acres around the lake). > > 3. Also, earlier in the evening we heard that distinctive grinding sound of > the insecticide sprayer on the other side of Lake Boon around North Shore > Dr., Stow as well and it seems likely that this applicator sprayed around > the whole lake without any authorization and/or notification to do so. > > 4. We would like to work with the Boards to help remediate what has been > done as well as notify everyone around the lake that this unauthorized > pesticide spraying has taken place and provide information on remediation to > lake residents whose wells will be affected by the washing in of this > pesticide with the next rain due on Friday. > > 5. We would also like to address watershed districting around Lake Boon and > other lakes and ponds for Stow and Hudson to prevent pesticide contamination > from Mass. Mosquito Control in the future as well as other pesticide > applicators to protect the water supply. Many people's wells are less than > 50 feet from the road including ours, and therefore this type of broadcast > spraying should not even be allowed in areas such as these under Mass. > pesticide regulations,etc. > > 6. We would also like to be cc'd on any and all documentation regarding this > matter, i.e., DEP Emergency Response Incident Report, Hudson & Stow Police, > etc. as it directly affects us and our wells and our neighbors wells. > > > Some of the laws that have been violated with this unauthorized pesticide > application are as follows there are probably additional laws as well: > 1. "Right of Way Protection Law" which prohibits any application of > pesticide from a right of way that is within 50' of a drinking water supply > well. > 2. "Mass. Child & Family Protection Act" which protects children and > families from unnecessary pesticide exposures and mandates notification in > order to allow proper action if the application is necessary as a last > resort when any and all other Integrated Pest Management alternatives have > been exhausted and the local Board of Health grants a one time emergency > waiver. > 3. "Clean Air & Water Act": protects citizens and the environment from > harmful, unnecessary and unlawful discharges of hazardous > materials/pesticides into the air and/or waterways. > 4. "Massachusetts & Stow/Hudson Wetlands Protection Acts/Laws": > protects all lakes, ponds, vernal pools and wetland from harmful, > unnecessary and unlawful discharges of hazardous materials/pesticides. > 5. "Citizens Right to Know Laws" which protect citizens by notifying > them in advance of last resort, harmful and hazardous pesticide discharges > that will affect them. > > > Please get back to us on Thursday 7/31 to update us on the above. Hopefully > something can be done to remediate before the rain shower comes in on Friday > so we can hopefully minimize the impact to people's wells, etc. > > Respectfully Yours, > > Barbara Lee Supeno > Barbara Jean Ernst > Massachusetts Pesticide Awareness Collaborative (MPAC)Regional Directors, > (Stow, Hudson, Acton, Littleton, Maynard and Boxborough region) > New England Association of Natural Lake Restoration (NEANLR) President > Lake Boon Watershed Association (LBWA) Directors > 210 Barton Rd. > Stow, MA 01775-1577 > 978-568-1073 Phone/Fax > email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with body "unsubscribe frambors" (the subject is ignored).
