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Show THE ZEPHYRJULY 1991 argument and discussion, and warn also advised that If they blocked the roadway or Interfered In any way with the operation of the fogging vehicle they would be cited or arrested and Sgt Undqulst followed the fogging buck as It proceeded up the street, operating our vehicles stightiy behind and to the aide of the pickup to keep the citizens off the road way and as far away as possible from the fogging truck without Infringing on their private properties." (Incident report by Uoab police officer Becky Mellon, June 4, 1991.) "If some misinformed It? Pretty dumbir people think ft Is poisonous, why me they protesting by standing (Betty Walters, letter to the editor, Times-independe- nt, In June 20, 1991.) or four o'clock In the morning Isn't the best time to be working. Footings get You've heightened. got to remember, Jolene was Just doing her Job, what she Is directed to do by state law-n- ot necessarily the fogglng.but controlling mosqultoa the best way we can with the money we have." (Mike Holyoak, M.M.A.D. Board Chairman, at the June 4, 1991, meeting.) "Two 1 find It reaaonable to stop spraying along the trailer court on Powerhouse Lane." (Carl Butt, Utah State Agriculture Inspector for Moab, to Andrew Riley and mobile-homresident Eric Bjomstad, June 20, 1991.) PAGE 25 The police informed the protesters that the spraying was going to continue. If they were in the way of the truck they would be arrested. They were further informed that If they stood beside the road they would be sprayed. Residents retreated to the trailer court property at the edge of the road where they and their homes and their gardens and their cars were engulfed In a dense cloud of spray as the truck proceeded up Powerhouse Lane with police escort Officer Becky Mallon stated in the incident report from that night: "The fogging was sccomplished by a spraying machine mounted in the back of a pickup truck, which was aimed straight back and upward at approximately a sixty-fiv- e degree angle Into the air. The substance was at no time sprayed directly on any person-- ." Mallon's report is In error. The next day several of us had headaches, stomachaches, and nausea. We also struggled individually and as a group with the emotional aftermath of the experience. This incident was a blatant betrayal by public servants who are paid to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Moab. No one argues over the fact that mosquitos pose a potential health hazard to Moab citizens. Pete Byrd, a resident of Moab since 1952 and a past member of the mosquito abatement board, has many tales of friends who contacted encephalitis, and a dose Marine buddy who got malaria from mosquitos while they were stationed in Guadal Canal. He recalls a 1955 issue of the Moab marking the 75th of Moab Office Post the and 100th of the Moab, in which an artide anniversary anniversary for an stated that Indian name Moab, Moapa," translated to mosquito. His comments seem to echo the concerns of many Moab residents. Byrd read to me from American Medical Association papers a statement claiming only vinyl chloride and arsenic used in pesticides have ever been known to cause cancer in humans. I prefer to believe the National Cancer Institute. With the Scott M. Matheson Wetland Preserve along the river, and MIN Creek and Pack Creek running through the valley, added to numerous irrigation ditches, seeps, and various other areas of standing water, this land is not only a paradise for those who visit or reside here, it is also haven for the Culiddae family we so well know as the mosquito. I talked with David Brower (a noted authority on matters relating to the survival of the planet and Its Inhabitants) about our dilemma. He strongly critidzed the use of Malathlon, stating: 'In today's world, with all the findings that have come to light, the use of Malathlon is unquestionably wrong." To try to stop repeated exposures to the carcinogen, Powerhouse Lane residents gathered information and have registered complaints with the American Civil Liberties Union, the EPA, and the Utah Department of Agriculture, among others. We have spoken with and received verbal aupport from the Utah Board of Health, the Utah Department of Health, Utah State University pesticide specialist Howard Deer, Gary King at the Utah State Department of Agriculture, consumer activist Ralph Nader's office In Washington D.C., the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides in Washington D.C., and Dr. Mai Rueber, toxicologist at the National Cancer Institute, and more. What a bother all this has been. Yet, we believe the citizens of Moab are being dealt a grave injustice through the mosquito abatement board, the police department, and the county commission. An injustice that, to me, is as pemidous as the government's Infliction of Agent Orange, and as odious as Nazi propaganda during World War II. This valley and the people of Moab are being slowly pdsoned with a toxin that imminent world researchers believe Is dangerous beyond our wildest imaginings. Many other states have found alternatives to Malathlon. The Jackson County Vector Control District in Portland offers detailed Information on their methods of Inspection, controls are Identification, and control at each breeding site. Other areas using non-toxFisher's Island, N.Y., Marin County, California, Denver, Philadelphia, and portions of Arkansas, among others. There are alternatives to Malathlon. Times-independe- e "There hasn't been an epidemic of equine encephalitis among the Utah populace In more titan S3 years, but the wet spring that produced a bumper crop of mosqultoa has state officials wary.Durlng the wide spread flooding In Utah In 1983 and 1984, there were no documented casea In humans, although there was one suspected case In a horse." (Associated Press, Salt Lake Tribune, June 19, 1991: "Utah Officials Abuzz Over Mosquito Disease.") for any chemical agent that Is determined to level some of be carcinogen or tumoNnducer at exposure or dose, one may not determine any level or dose which can be viewed as being free of any risk to contact cancer or any tumor as a result of exposure to that agent In conclusion, It seems rather Inescapable that Malathlon andor Ualaoxon poses a marked and highly algnlflcant risk of cancer or tumor Induction to those who become exposed to them either In the food supply or as a result of exposure through aerial application of the pesticide" (M. Adrian Gross, Senior Science Advisor for the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs, to the California State Assembly, Sacramento, March 1990.) "JThe policy of the National Cancer Institute: ft to highlight a few salient points about the Malathlon conflict In Moab and particularly Incidents on Powerhouse Lane. Malathlon is a nerve poison. First developed by Nazi Germany during World War II, and a known carcinogen, beyond question. The very label on Its containers, written by the manufacturer, Is perhaps the best testimony. Numerous attempts have been made by Powerhouse Lane residents to halt the of Malathlon on their homes, cars, and gardens. spraying Last year Powerhouse Lane residents signed a petition to discontinue the spraying that the board accepted. There was no spraying the rest of that summer. This year, Welch and the board originally told Powerhouse Lane residents they would only spray every other week and not while passing the trailer court Then, for some reason, Welch changed her mind, Apparently independent of a board decision, spraying of the trailer court began on a weekly basis. After the June 4 spraying Incident, Welch visited resident Angela Bautista's office and apologized for the spraying. Welch said she acted on orders from Carl Butt, Utah State Agriculture Inspector, to continue spraying the area. Butt later denied he ever gave such an order, according to Andrew Riley. On May 29, residents again signed a petition requesting an alternative abatement I'd like ic control method. June 4, at 2:15 a.m., they gathered as the mosquito abatement truck turned up Powerhouse Lane and began discharging a heavy mist of the toxic insecticide. I was one of those who sat down In the middle of the road to block the truck as it neared our homes. Art S acres t, the driver, radioed his boss, District Supervisor Jolene Welch, who called the police. Two police officers and a deputy sheriff arrived In force minutes later. Soon afterward, Welch also appeared. After several minutes of dialogue between residents and officials, it seemed evident there would be no agreement SU&WAy WNERlM6-(IT- J NOT R3R EVERY BODY) r4 South Main o Moab Utah 259-SUB- SUBWAY LADDERING! COMES TO MOAB! S |
