Report back on the Anvil Spraying of last week

from Pete Leki
9/8/06

Dear Friends,
All day yesterday I felt distracted at work because of
the impending ANVIL spraying. Early in the morning we
got a call asking if we could meet with Mr. Terry
Mason, Head of the Chicago Department of Public
Health, Dr. Paul, Alderman Schulter and Marty Casey,
Ward Superintendent. Julie and I met with them and
Julie presented them with a packet of beautifully
researched reasons not to spray. The City for there
part had prepared a statement responding in some ways
to these claims and our concerns and determination.
The discussion seemed to be very earnest.
We brought up the new study that finds that the
spraying of synthetic pyrethroids is not effective in
killing mosquitoes, thus leaving people feeling a false
sense of security. The city claims that conditions are
different here than in the study case and that they do
monitor mosquito populations before and after spraying
and have noted a 75% reduction. We do not know if
their methods and results are public information or
not.
We brought up that we knew of 3 cities that opted not
to spray adult mosquitoes, and Christina, the
Alderman's aide, very kindly found the position
statement of the Washington DC Health Department. Interestingly, they
said that they didn't want to spray because of the health risks to
asthma sufferers and also that they might be sued if the spray wafted
over the walls of foreign embassies.
We asked that local communities be allowed to opt out
of these programs and they responded that to do so
would compromise the effectiveness of the spraying.
They said that to their knowledge, city governments
who allow citizens to opt out are controlling pest
mosquitoes, not West Nile ones.
Julie did an awfully good job presenting study after
study that questioned the medical risks associated
with ANVIL. The City agreed that they don't like
spraying, that it is a last resort, and that if they
could find a different way to reduce Culex pipiens,
they would.
This led us to discuss why Chicago, a self-described
"green city" could not lead the way in finding
alternatives to spraying. Dr. Mason suggested inviting
the Head of the Department of Environment, scientists
and public health professionals from our Universities,
the CDPH and us convene a working group to study other
cities and approaches.
On the issue of spraying that night, however, they
would give no ground, saying that they were going by
CDC standards and didn't want to compromise their
program. They also mentioned that there were people
calling and asking why they weren't being sprayed
sooner. Assuming that these were not paid agents of
CLARK, we have to acknowledge that there is much
ignorance and fear in the general population, and that
the media and the CDPH have not helped in this area.
Last evening we painted signs saying "No Toxic Spray"
and posted them at houses of people who requested
them. One local resident got upset, yelling that the
majority want to be sprayed. I asked if she had read
any of our handouts about the issue. She said "No, I
don't have to, I'm pro-spraying. I want to get rid of
those bugs". Clearly, we do not speak in one voice in
our community.
Greg and Allison cut basil from their yard, and Debbie
covered up the beautiful night-scented tuber rose and
tomatoes, hoping to avoid the spray. Dragon flies
zoomed around us, as if waiting for the end of the
world. Little Theo made a sign that read "No cars
allowed on Hutchinson" and Joey or Nick wrote "You
spray, you pay!" We passed out fliers to anyone about,
warning them of the spraying and many people thanked
us. We gathered at the corner and a police officer
came by, very kindly, empathetically and politely
asking us to not block the streets.
Some of us were ready to drag the barricades out and
resist this Poisoning as one would resist any
violence. But instead we stood as silent witnesses as
the trucks arrived, kindly turning off their spray as
they passed us.
We have done extraordinary things since this spraying
campaign began: we researched and made our views
known, we resisted in the streets and risked arrest,
we organized teach-ins and published our views for all
to see, Julie and her summer interns went door to door
with information and petitions, we enlisted the
sympathetic support of our Alderman, and we have an
agreement with top City officials to work for an
alternative.
Dr. Paul and Dr Mason say that they believe, and hope,
that last night will be the last spraying of the year.
If so, it means that we have laid our cards on the
table and can begin organizing technical and legal
help for the working group.

If we are successful we will accomplish two important things:
1) we will create more trust and confidence between us and the
Health Department, opening the way for future co-operation, and
2) we may be able to find an alternative to spraying for the whole
city, not just our dear neighborhood.
That would be huge!

But, it does not mean that we have given up our right to
disagree, protest, and take part in non-violent civil disobedience
when we believe our community and our families are at risk. If the
working group fails we will organize, and educate, and it will
not be one courageous young man standing in the street, but hundreds.

Pete

Report back on the Anvil Spraying of last week

from Julie Peterson
9/12/06

A Million Thanks to all the many who wrote beautiful letters of support and who called Alderman Schulter to let him know that you were concerned about the health effects of Anvil pesticide and the lack of effectiveness. We are so very thankful too, to Alderman Gene Schulter, who arranged a meeting for us with the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health, Dr. Terry Mason, and Entomologist, Dr. Bill Paul at the Ward 47 office.

Last Thursday, for over 90 minutes Pete Leki and I presented the studies which lead us to our concerns. The study which shows the synthetic pyrethroids show up in school children when their urine is tested, with higher levels for older children (showing a buildup over years) and lower levels for children of parents who thought their exposure was lower (showing that avoiding pesticides through organic pest control can protect your kids) We showed them the study which showed synthetic pyrethroids cause disruption of thyroid function. Another study which showed that these chemicals can mimic estrogen, meaning that it needs to be studied to see if it increases the rate of breast cancer. Neurotoxic effects.. lung irritant.. and more.. and to top it off, Anvil is toxic to fish. And bees that land on flowers which have been sprayed may die.

All of this and two studies say the spray doesn't work to reduce mosquitoes because the eggs keep hatching unless you get them in the standing water. Yet they refused to cancel the spray. Why?

Dr. Paul reported that they do their own monitoring and that their own results show a 75% reduction in mosquitoes after spraying. That's a huge deviation from the Harvard School of Health study, which found NO difference in mosquitoes after spraying. Dr. Paul says they didn't spray as much because it was a rural area. Perhaps. But we want to see the data.

We asked them not to spray near the river because the spray isn't supposed to be used near the river. We were given no assurance and in fact later witnessed trucks spraying the top of the riverbank. Anvil is toxic to fish and aquatic life.

We asked them if they would turn off the spray if people were on the sidewalks, children playing, bicycle commuters, diners in sidewalk cafes, babies in strollers, pregnant women. Dr Paul replied that it wasn't practical to be switching the spray on and off. We wish to thank the truck driver who did not spray us as we held vigil Thursday night at Campbell and Hutchinson. Unfortunately, they turned the spray back on just before the river.

The good news (and it's very very good news) is that Dr. Mason pledged to Alderman Schulter that they would convene a working group of experts to reevaluate the spray. The group will meet this winter and will include experts which will be chosen by us, the community of Beyond Today. We will seek experts in other responses to West Nile such as utilized in Washington, D.C., the health effects of Anvil, and the effectiveness of various methods. I and other volunteers have already reached out to other organizations for assistance in this matter.

This is an amazing opportunity. The practices of government don't respond to science unless there is enough pressure and political support.

This issue is a big part of Beyond Today because that's what the community is feeling very strongly about. So strongly, that many put their bodies in front of the trucks last year and pledge to do it again next year. I need to communicate that both Beyond Today, the organization, and I as an individual member, can and do not advocate anything that breaks the law or could put you or anyone in a dangerous situation such as that. Our organization is working with our Alderman and the Department of Public Health to bring full light to the research to make sure that future WNV prevention plans don't ignore the environment or assume that unstudied health effects should be assumed to be no health effects. That being said, I personally have a huge amount of respect for Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and those who choose their path when the government chooses to hurt the people and is unresponsive to good-faith engagement of the community is all available means to redress the injustice.. When the government does something wrong and the people struggle for change, there is a kind of protest called non-violent civil disobedience. That is where you put your body in the way of the violent action. Martin Luther King did it, Gandhi did it. Greenpeace does it. If you haven't heard of this beautiful selfless action before, please take a moment and read about it sometime. I saw the Gandhi movie when I was young and admired the intense love with which it was done. It was the first revolution by means of non-violence civil disobedience. Since Beyond Today started, 3 and a half years ago, our book discussion group read several non-violence books. It is the way to end wars and it does require study. I encourage you all to take a moment and read an essay or an article on the basic concept of CD (non-violent civil disobedience). With all these wars and chemicals, the world needs that knowledge. However, I have decided personally that for me, now is not the time for CD. Now is the time to come to the table with our Alderman, who time and again, has proved himself an advocate for peace and the environment, and to come to the table with the City's Department of Public Health, who has pledged to genuinely examine the no-spray response of Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, and other cities, and to do our best to bring public attention on the issue. As an organizer for Beyond Today, I do not control the actions of anyone but myself, of course, but I will do my best to continue to organize education campaigns, public forums, and protests to raise public awareness of this issue.

Please continue to spread the word and learn more. The more I learn, the more I realize that while it can be overwhelming to realize that unsafe chemicals are part of life, by default, in Chicago, the fact is, it's not that hard to change. It's safer, cheaper, easier, and more pleasant, heck, sometimes it's even the law!. I never want anyone to have the taste of Anvil again. We can do better. Don't get overwhelmed and don't worry, you have a great community and we are working together. You are invited to get more involved whenever you have time or resources and we totally respect the work that you are doing when you need to spend time on other things. We will do our best to coordinate a rotating team of volunteers as work and family schedules wax and wane. Together we can make a difference! I am honored to be part of this community.

I invite you particularly to research The Precautionary Principle. It's connected to every issue Beyond Today members care about, including Global Warming.

one definition..."Proponents of a potentially harmful technology must show the new technology is harmless before the new technology is used"

Beyond Today is a community-driven group effort. Please email me if you'd like to become one of our researchers or want to be part of this project in some way.

Julie