By John Laird

October 25, 2007 

What do airplanes, plastic twist ties, marine life in the Monterey Bay, redwood trees, pheromones, temporary restraining orders, international trade policy and your back yard garden have in common?  The Light Brown Apple Moth, or LBAM for short.

For about ten weeks now, the Monterey Bay Area has been ground zero for the California Department of Food & Agriculture’s (CDFA) fight against the invasive LBAM.  The CDFA has declared an emergency and is implementing a plan to eradicate LBAM via aerial application of a pheromone.  The idea is to disrupt the moth’s mating in the hope it will suppress and eventually eradicate LBAM. 

First in Monterey, and then in Santa Cruz, a myriad of questions have been raised about CDFA’s plans for spraying:  Are pheromones safe for people, animals and the environment?  What are the inert ingredients of the pheromone spray?  Will the spray harm marine life?  Why is LBAM an emergency?  Why can’t twist ties or sticky traps be used instead? 

Since August 22 when I first met with CDFA Secretary Kawamura, I have called for a fair and open public process that is based on sound science, in order to better understand the CDFA’s plan. 

On August 27 and September 24, I sent Mr. Kawamura questions I developed from discussions with experts, elected officials and members of our community.  As a result, the CDFA has instituted a hotline (800-491-1899) and an email notification system, created an Environmental Advisory Task Force, and secured an independent lab test to confirm the spray will not harm marine life.

While a number of my earlier questions have now been answered, many questions remain.  As follow up to my previous questions, I sent a third set of questions to Mr. Kawamura on October 16. 

In my latest letter, I strongly encouraged Mr. Kawamura to address my questions before proceeding with plans to spray in Santa Cruz County, or continuing spraying in Monterey County.  Here is a partial list of the questions from my letter:

Health Complaints

• Before the next round of spraying, when and how will results of analysis of the over 200 health complaints in Monterey County be reported? 

• Will CDFA implement a long-term study of health effects before, during and after spraying?

Pheromone Mating Disruption (PMD) Effectiveness

• What would constitute a successful “eradication” of LBAM? 

• What is your “Plan B” if PMD fails to eradicate LBAM, or if legal action or weather-related issues impede your plans? 

• Under what circumstances would CDFA use insecticides in residential areas in conjunction with or following PMD or instead of PMD? 

Alternatives to Aerial Spraying

• Can you be more specific on why a so-called “twist tie” approach is “impossible?” 

• While waiting for alternatives such as sterile moths, could a “contain and control” program be implemented, such as in the case of Sudden Oak Death?

Environmental Review

• When will the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review be completed?

Third-party review

• When will specific information on the third-party data that exists be available in a format understandable and accessible by the public?

LBAM Economic Impacts

• What do we know about actual economic losses caused directly by the pest itself?   

• How are LBAM-related economic losses being monitored and reported?

Nursery Industry Impacts

• Local nursery owners are spending considerable funds to implement regulations requiring the spraying and quarantines of infected stock.  Has CDFA set aside funds to provide financial assistance to the nursery industry (and other growers) impacted or potentially impacted by LBAM?

Clearly, there are many serious issues that need further vetting, but one thing is clear: more time is needed to get additional and better answers.  Hopefully, the efforts underway among community members, local leaders and officials at the CDFA will produce those answers quickly.

In the meantime, I encourage you to get and stay informed about LBAM.  I have created a special section on my Assembly Website dedicated to LBAM, and I invite you to utilize the site as a key resource.  In addition to copies of my letters to Secretary Kawamura, the LBAM section includes links to daily news stories, environmental assessments, information from the CDFA and other government entities.  To visit the site, go to www.assembly.ca.gov/laird.