Approved as to Form and Legality
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL _ _ _ :
City Attorney
RESOLUTION NO. C.M.S.
Introduced by Councilmember Brunner and Councilmember Reid

A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE AERIAL SPRAY PROGRAM TO ERADICATE THE LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH AND REQUESTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS

WHEREAS, the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) is a pest subject to Federal and State quarantine and eradication orders; and

WHEREAS, there is a confirmed presence of Light Brown Apple Moths in Alameda County; and

WHEREAS, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) plans to begin an LBAM aerial spraying program in Alameda County and surrounding areas in summer of 2008; and

WHEREAS, aerial and other blanket pesticide applications have repeatedly been shown in thepast to cause unintended, unpredictable, and often serious human health effects; and

WHEREAS, the State has claimed an emergency exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in order to begin the LBAM aerial spraying program withoutconducting environmental review based on an emergency exemption; and

WHEREAS, the State has confirmed that it will begin preparation of an Environmental Impact Report after the aerial spraying program has begun; and

WHEREAS, CDFA has stated that no physical crop damage has been attributed to LBAM; and

WHEREAS, the State has relied almost entirely on its own scientists to address public concernsabout the LBAM spray program and has not employed independent outside experts to evaluate and support the program or and address issues in a direct and impartial manner; and

WHEREAS, the CDFA LBAM program sprays pesticides in microscopic plastic capsules that pose unknown inhalation risks; and

WHEREAS, according to the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) the pheromone pesticide poses only minimal risk to human health, but is considered a "slight to moderate dermal irritant" and does present some very "low toxicity"; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of reports of health effects such as asthma attacks, headaches, difficulty breathing, stomach pains and skin rashes were reported following the LBAM aerial spraying in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties; and>/p>

WHEREAS, other environmental impacts such as the deaths of birds and pets were reported following the LBAM aerial spraying in the Monterey and Santa Cruz areas; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland City Council opposes the CDFA aerial spray program to eradicate L BAM until the State has studied the public health implications and determined that there are no health or environmental risks

IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA ,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - BROOKS, BRUNNER, CHANG, KERNIGHAN, NADEL, QUAN, REiD, and PRESIDENT DE LA FUENTE
NOESABSENTABSTENTION
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ATTEST:
LaTonda Simmons
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council
of the City of Oakland, California