News Archives

December 6, 2003- Aerial spraying of Foray 48B commenced the 8th of October in Hamilton, NZ, with eight weekly applications. The first 3 sprays were applied at 5 litres per hectare. However, the following 5 sprays were applied at 7 litres per hectare. With the increased dosage many more people got ill, and most of those commented that they thought the dosage was higher. It wasn't until the spraying was over that the forestry department admitted what the spray rates actually were. For more information, see the New Zealand link above.

September 8, 2003- The New Zealand town of Hamilton will be sprayed starting in October 8 times every one to two weeks with less than 24 hours notice of spray days. Spraying in Hamilton was triggered by the trapping of one single Asian gypsy moth. This was despite over 10,000 signatures collected against the spraying and the advice of at least one entomologist. For more information see the previous articles below and our New Zealand link above.

September 3, 2003- Citizens in the New Zealand town of Hamilton have now collected over 10,000 signatures to stop the aerial spraying of Foray 48B. This is half of the population of the area that would be sprayed. The plan is to spray 8 times every one to two weeks with less than 24 hours notice of spray days. Spraying in Hamilton was triggered by the trapping of one single Asian gypsy moth. For more information see the previous articles below and our New Zealand link above.

August 26, 2003- The town of Hamilton is mobilizing to stop the massive aerial spraying for one Asian gypsy moth. Over 5000 signatures have been gathered on a petition opposing the spray campaign, and there will be a protest march on August 30.  A well-known New Zealand entomologist and moth expert has stated that the spraying is an overreaction and premature. Media all over New Zealand are picking up on this story. For more information check our New Zealand link above.

August 13, 2003- Preliminary trapping results in Washington state this year are in, and one moth was found in Crown Hill (Seattle), as well as a number in other areas.  See the results here.   There is no information on whether other life stages were found, or whether the moths are Euro-American or Asian species.

August 3, 2003- In addition to the massive repeated aerial sprayings of West Auckland with Foray 48B  for painted apple moth, New Zealand will be spraying for Asian gypsy moth around the city of Hamilton. A single male Asian gypsy moth was trapped - no other life stage was found. 

Similarities to US Treatment of Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) "Infestations"
The arbitrary, unscientific nature of eradication efforts is similar in both the US and in New Zealand, For example, in 2000, the Washington State Department of Agriculture, after trapping one male AGM, declared there was a "high, non-statistical probability" (an odd statement in itself) of an AGM infestation. In New Zealand, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) "'strongly believes' the lone male moth represents a small but existing population. It said it was probable that others were present but not yet caught." [Waikato Times]. In the US, the protocol for trapping even one AGM is spraying 640 acres three times with Foray 48B. No eradication of any "infestation" from this regimen has ever been scientifically substantiated, but no moths have been trapped in subsequent years either. In New Zealand, 

"US biosecurity experts have urged ...MAF to launch an aerial spray campaign early in October. The plan would see small aircraft and helicopters  used to douse 1500ha [about 4000 acres] of Hamilton with pesticide eight times over two months."[Waikato Times]. 

April 30, 2003-The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the US Forest Service are now spraying Foray48B over a square mile area in the Five Rivers valley, near Alsea, Oregon. Eyewitnesses have seen and photographed the spraying helicopter applying pesticide outside the marked zone boundaries, spraying homes and drinking water sources, sickening homeowners,  and spraying directly into streams supporting coho salmon runs. Residents pointed out that Foray48B, aside from containing the active biocide Btk, also is now known to contain a disinfectant called BIT which was toxic enough that the US government has just revealed its presence in the formula. BIT has been banned for outdoor uses in Europe because of its toxicity to wildlife. Foray48B also most likely contains siloxanes as part of the soup of  its "inert" ingredients, which are toxic to some insects.
Read an eyewitness account here.

December 30, 2002-The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the US Forest Service will be spraying a square mile area several times in Spring 2003 with Foray48B in the Five Rivers Valley, located near Alsea in the western Coast Range of Oregon. The spray was planned after trapping three European/American gypsy moths and retrieving a few (presumably unhatched) egg cases transported on a van from New York. All the moths were trapped in the immediate vicinity of the initial introduction. No alternatives are being considered, despite the damage likely to be done to the local Lepidopterae population (not to mention other effects - see the  Pesticides and Btk Information link) and the likelihood that alternative methods such as pheromone disruption or mass trapping would take care of this problem more safely. As usual, the Forest Service gave residents less than a month to comment on the "proposal" (which was probably being planned by mid-October). The Forest Service does not have a good track record in the Five Rivers Valley - they used to repeatedly spray the now-restricted herbicide 2,4,5-T, claiming that the forest would suffer without it. They were finally stopped by a court order in 1976 after high levels of dioxin from the herbicide were found in the area.

November 29, 2002-Aerial Spraying Protestors in New Zealand Considering Direct Action!
Helen Wiseman-Dare of West Aucklanders Against Aerial Spraying (WASP) said today that she was heartened to hear that people were considering protesting at Whenuapai Airbase where the spray planes take off from, on the next Spray Day. Spraying is next scheduled for December 2nd. WASP is encouraging residents in the spray zone to continue with their tarpaulins protest which involves covering up their gardens and properties during spraying as both a form of protest and as a way to protect their gardens from the effects of the spray.  Many residents had experienced damage to vegetation in their gardens and plants dying after being aerially sprayed. Residents had also told her they wished to protect their vegetable gardens from being sprayed with unknown chemicals.  Organic gardeners were particularly concerned to keep Foray 48B off their gardens as it is not licensed for use in organic growing and growers overseas had lost their organic certification after being aerially sprayed.

WASP has also heard that some residents intend to float helium balloons 50 - 70 metres above their homes on spray days as a form of protest.  Residents intend to have slogans such as "MAF OFF" or "FOKKER OFF" on their balloons (a Fokker Friendship aeroplane is one of the aircraft being used).

The government has, against the advice of the Treasury Department, given the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries another $90 million to continue aerial spraying over nearly 200,000 Auckland homes every 2-3 weeks for the next three years, to eradicate the Painted Apple Moth.  Mr Jim Sutton, Minister for Biosecurity has stated that he has "no way of knowing with any certainty whether it would be a serious pest in New Zealand. And we have no certainty of success in an eradication attempt." (3 July 2002).  MAF has put the chance of achieving eradication at only 60-80%. Aerial spraying started in January this year with eleven sprays being carried out so far.

Many residents and their animals have experienced adverse health effects and MAF is currently paying to evacuate at least 55 families on spray days. Many others pay their own relocation costs. All are having to foot the bill for hundreds of dollars of doctors and specialists visits plus medication costs, as well as vets visits for their sick animals.

October 18, 2002- The gypsy moth catch total for Washington State was announced at the end of September 2002, and you can see the results here. 

October 10, 2002- Even though the active ingredient of the insecticide Foray48B (btk bacteria strain HD-1) is not yet genetically engineered, it is grown on genetically modified (GM) corn and soy, and may incorporate GM proteins into its structure. Will this cause problems when this spray is dumped on close to one million acres around the world each year? People in New Zealand think so. Read it about it here.

September 15, 2002- The US is not the only country that has drastic overreactions to invasive moth species. In West Auckland, New Zealand, a spray campaign has begun, over vociferous protests, to eliminate the Painted Apple Moth (similar to the European/American gypsy moth here). Over 20,000 acres in an urban area will be aerially sprayed with Foray48B for the next three years up to forty times. There are over 35,000 homes in the spray area, and the spray effort is costing $43 million (US). Alternatives were avaible but the Ministry of "Biosecurity" has been spraying since 2000 to try to kill off the moths. Oddly enough, the New Zealand Treasury said the expenditure was unjustified and the claims of future damage that could be done by the moths were being overstated. At least in New Zealand, the government admits the spraying could cause adverse health problems, and they are relocating sensitive individuals outside the spray area.

May 29, 2002- For the final time the WSDA rolled into Crown Hill with spray trucks to treat the neighborhood for gypsy moths. Residents and NSZ members were there in protest. Inconsistencies with the spraying protocol were again noted by a NSZ observer. The wind speeds exceeded 10 mph and gust were above 18 mph. WSDA pesticide applicators were not able to reach the upper parts of the larger target trees with the insecticide and missed some trees all together. A large amount of spray drifted into areas outside of the designated treatment area. Spray drift covered most cars in the area. If the high foliage or missed trees do contain moth larva it's almost certain the WSDA will return next year and spray 300 to 400 properties. (click here for photo of drift. That's not fog - it's Foray 48B )

May 28, 2002- The WSDA sent out Crown Hill Gypsy Moth Spray Notification today and will be spraying Foray 48B on Crown Hill residentsstarting around 9:00 am on May 29th. Crown Hill residents and NSZ members will be out protesting and monitoring the WSDA. We invite others to join us around 8:00 AM at the corner of 80th and Dibble . 

May 16, 2002- For a second time in two weeks the WSDA rolled into Crown Hill with spray trucks to treat the neighborhood for gypsy moths. Residents and NSZ members were there in protest. 
Inconsistencies with the spraying protocol were noted by a NSZ observer. The pesticide applicators were not reaching the upper third parts of the larger target trees with the insecticide. The WSDA is worried that 82 years old Anastasia Retelas' vegetables are harboring Gypsy Moths- yet the spray applicators are missing possible prime caterpillar feeding areas located high in the area trees. ( photo series here of Anastasia's yard being sprayed)
The third and final spraying should be in a week with favorable weather conditions.Local residents and NSZ members plan another round of protest and monitoring. 

May 15, 2002-The WSDA sent out Crown Hill Gypsy Moth Spray Notification today and will be spraying Foray 48B on Crown Hill residents starting around 9:00 am on May 16th. Crown Hill residents and NSZ members will be out protesting and monitoring the WSDA. We invite others to join us around 8:30 AM at the corner of 80th and Dibble . 

May 14, 2002 -Vader WA. On May 8, 2002, the WSDA sprayed the pesticide Foray 48B into Olequa Creek, a stream which is home to an endangered chinook salmon run . The helicopter made up to 35 passes over the creek while spraying. The spraying was witnessed by local residents and NSZ members. ( Click to view video ) This same area was sprayed last year. Last year the WSDA placed tarps covering the Olequa Creek,  but no attempt was made this year to keep the pesticides out of the creek. 

May 9, 2002-We found this news about Cascade Helicopters (Click here to view) .  They are the company the WSDA hired to dump Foray 48B on the Seattle neighborhoods Ballard and Magnolia in May of 2000. During the 2000 spraying, Cascade Helicopters sprayed gallons of Foray 48B into and across Salmon Bay . These are the type of companies the WSDA does business with! We can't wait to see what happens with Washington Tree Service, the contractor for WSDA spraying Crown Hill this year.

May 8, 2002- An otherwise beautiful day presented the Washington State Department of Agriculture with a good day for spraying in Crown Hill.  Sunny weather allowed the WSDA to implement its favorite gypsy moth eradication method, as the pesticide laden trucks rolled in to spray the neighborhood with Foray 48B, starting at 9:00am. Before the spraying commenced, Crown Hill residents along with members of No Spray Zone gathered at NW 8O ^th St. and Dibble to protest this invasion by the WSDA.  The media was out in force from Q13, KIRO, KING 5, and KOMO.
Residents are still keeping up a valiant protest, but truly a hero emerged today in the form of 82 year old Anastasia Retelas. She attempted to stop the spraying of her yard by grabbing the nozzle of the hose held by an applicator when he ripped off the protective plastic sheets on her small vegetable garden. We need many more like Anastasia! A WSDA spokesman says "garden vegetables like Anastasia's can harbor gypsy moth eggs, " adding "the produce is safe to eat after spraying if it's washed." We would like the WSDA to explain how gypsy moths could have laid eggs last year in annual vegetable crops that weren't even planted until this year. The WSDA will be back to Crown Hill two more times in the next few weeks to subject the neighborhood to more unnecessary pesticide applications.

May 2, 2002- Crown Hill neighbors rallied today in rain and wind to protest the pending spray from the Washington State Dept. of Agriculture (WSDA) for the European/American Gypsy Moth.  Most said they were there because they were appalled at the way in which the WSDA handled the warrant issue.  One person commented, "I was asked whether I wanted the spray.  When I said no I was told, by a judge, I had to let them spray my property anyway.  Why did they ask me if they knew full well they were going to railroad me and my neighbors into accepting the spraying of pesticides?  Why did they pretend and make it seem we had a choice when all along they knew what they were going to do?" 
Because of the rain, WSDA decided to spray another day.  At this point it will be tomorrow or on Monday.  When asked, John Lundberg (PR spokesman for the WSDA) replied, "We usually don't spray on weekends."  Depending on the weather, WSDA will spray the first chance it gets.  To be notified of the spraying in the Crown Hill neighborhood, call the WSDA hotline at 800-443-6684. 

 April 25, 2002 - In King County Superior Court, Judge James Doherty ruled today that the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) would be granted search and seizure warrants to spray 38 homeowners in the Crown Hill area who had refused to give their permission for spraying. Over a dozen residents eloquently presented their points to the judge:

• that they were not in favor of gypsy moths, but they objected to the wholesale pesticide spraying
• that spraying for a few moths in a 16 acre area was overkill
• that the pesticides Foray 48B and Plyac are not tested for long-term effects
• that though the department said they have no mandate to experiment, the residents were in effect participating against their will in a public health trial of the pesticide
• that the alternative of mass trapping was approved by the USDA and was even stated to be effective in eradication of European gypsy moths by the WSDA's own entomologist in 2000

April 15, 2002 - There are now 30 homes saying NO to spraying for gypsy moths in Crown Hill, Seattle. That is about 1/3 of the homes in the target area. Signs are going up in yards protesting the spraying. Read another article questioning the spraying in the Seattle Press from March 28, 2002. The Seattle Press is distributed free in many locations throught Seattle.[Note: btk does occur in soil, but the strain used in the pesticide Foray 48B is extremely rare. Some other bt-type pesticides use genetically-engineered bacteria, too.]

April 11, 2002 - No Spray Zone, after a conference with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and their lawyer, announced they intend to file suit against the state of Washington for an impending violation of the US Clean Water Act. During the conference, which was characterized by Asst. Attorney General Mark Schumock as "a forum for practical solutions" and "legal negotiations," the WSDA refused to negotiate or make any suggestions at all to ameloriate the effects of spraying of Foray 48B into Olequa Creek, a stream which is home to an endangered chinook salmon run. The suit will be based on the recent US 9th Circuit decision (Headwaters v. Talent Irrigation District ) that clearly states the introduction of pesticides into lakes, rivers, and/or their tributaries requires that the Washington State Department of Ecology issue a point source (NPDES) permit for the activity. The WSDA intends to aerially spray a btk pesticide (Foray 48B) over approximately 560 acres in and around Vader, Washington in an attempt to eradicate European gypsy moth in the area. The WSDA believes they don't need a permit (or any citizen advice). 
No Spray Zone needs your help with our legal campaign, so please click here.

April 7, 2002 - A dismayed citizen speaks out in a letter to the Seattle Times.

April 4, 2002 - Read No Spray Zone's response to the March 21 article in the Seattle Weekly in their letters to the editor. (See the original article here. ) 

March 30, 2002 - Representatives of the WSDA as well as No Spray Zone met with the Crown Hill community this morning. During the meeting, the WSDA stated that no alternatives would be tried in Washington State because they have no mandate for experimentation. Questions from neighbors about the WSDA criteria for determining whether to spray revealed these "triggers" as somewhat arbitrary. They also seemed to be more for bureaucratic convenience than the well-being of people and the environment. When pressed, the WSDA indicated they were primarily charged with protecting the horticultural industry in this state. This rings true, in that the horticultural industry comes out in force to oppose any pesticide safety legislation. Even a bill to do something as benign as reveal the "inert" ingredients in aerially-sprayed pesticides was attacked by industry lobbyists and the WSDA. Check the pesticide link for information on inert ingredients.

March 26, 2002 - The Whittier Community Council has voted unanimously this evening to oppose the spraying of Foray 48B by the WSDA. At least 21 out of 100 households in the area have also actively refused to give WSDA permission to enter their property to spray. This is despite a door-to-door canvassing effort by WSDA in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle to convince residents that the spraying is necessary and safe. Residents are organizing and discussing their options to try to get WSDA to consider safer and more appropriate alternatives. 

March 6, 2002 - Correspondence obtained from the WSDA shows that, rather than pursuing safer viable options for gypsy moth problems, the Department of Agriculture is pressuring Valent Biosciences, the manufacturer of Foray 48B, to have their pesticide registered by the state government for use on organic crops.
How safe is a pesticide registered for organic crops? The federal government has a history of registering pesticides for household use such as DDT, chlordane, and dursban, that later proved so toxic they have virtually no permitted uses left in the US.
There already are other btk-based pesticides, such as Dipel and Thuricide, that are used on organic crops, but these have the exact same safety questions as Foray 48B (see Pesticide Info). All this does is give the WSDA another propaganda point when spraying people with Foray 48B.  The WSDA appears to have an uncomfortably cozy relationship with Valent - maybe this is why they are so resistant to looking at other alternatives (see Natural Solutions).

February 19, 2002 - Activists fighting aerial spraying in New Zealand have discovered one of the secret  "inert" ingredients in the new formulation of Foray 48B (the pesticide that WSDA will spray in Ballard). The ingredient has been prohibited for environmental releases and some uses in Europe since last year. For more information, see Pesticide, Bt, and Btk Info on the navigation bar.

February 14, 2002 - There will be a public "information meeting" organized by the WSDA at the Whittier Elementary School on February 19, 2002 from 6-8pm. Please come by and tell WSDA what you think about their plans. In addition, No Spray Zone will be there to present an alternative view and answer questions.

February 4, 2002 - A bill to require disclosure of "inert" ingredients (which sometimes are more toxic than the "active" ingredients) in pesticides when they are sprayed aerially in urban areas has been introduced by 36th District Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson. The bill will receive a hearing on Friday, Feb. 8. Last year, a similar bill was successfully attacked by pesticide, forestry, and horticultural industry lobbyists. The logic of spraying something on thousands of people but refusing to tell them what it is somehow escapes us. The arguments made against the bill were mostly that "no pesticide manufacturer would sell us goods if we revealed what was in them." It seems cookie and hair shampoo manufacturers have done just fine after being forced to print all the ingredients on their labels, but the pesticide industry would be devastated if somebody found out they were actually putting some toxic stuff into their sprays. See the bill at this location.

January 22, 2002 - A private meeting was conducted between the No Spray Zone board and 5 members of the WSDA. The meeting lasted almost 21/2 hours. During the meeting, the WSDA presented their case for spraying Crown Hill with Foray48B (which was always the poison of choice). NSZ presented WSDA with information on disparlure flakes, which have been used successfully back East to suppress and eradicate small infestations of gypsy moths, and are nontoxic to all insects (even gypsy moths, which become confused and unable to locate a mate when they reach the adult moth stage). During the meeting it became clear that the public has little or no input into the WSDA process, and that WSDA is more interested in protecting the horticultural industry of Washington than taking the lead to protect both our citizens and our industry, in that order. More detailed information will be posted in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the WSDA will probably conduct a public information meeting near the affected neighborhood in mid-February after sending out flyers.

January 7, 2002 - WSDA has announced they will ground spray 17 acres in Ballard, around Dibble St. and bounded by NW 80th and 83rd Streets for gypsy moths. The proposal may be viewed by clicking here although the only two real alternatives are Gypchek, a viral disease of caterpillars, and Btk/Dipel mixtures (bacterial biological pesticide). The third alternative, diflurbenzuron, is known to be toxic. Also take a look at the flyer ("Gypsy Moth Facts, 2001) that will be sent to the 103 homes in the area - it talks at great length about how teriible an EGM infestation could be, but avoids mentioning that other alternatives to spraying poison, such as increased trapping, banding of trees, and searching for egg masses, are proven to be just as effective.

January 4, 2002 - Results from moth traps show that up to 8 European/American gypsy moths (EGM) were trapped in the 8300 block of NW Dibble St. in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. This is probably the most likely site for spraying in Seattle if the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) decides on this course of action. Around the state, a large number of similar moths were trapped in Vader and a few in Woodinville, Marysville, Whidbey Island, and a handful of other isolated locations. WSDA has today stated that are no plans to spray, but this only means that there are no official proposals released yet. We are still trying to obtain any information they may have on what they are going to decide. An anecdotal report of a WSDA official talking about spraying in 2002 on a talk-radio show in December has been received but not verified.

November 1, 2001 - WSDA has announced that no Asian gypsy moths were trapped in the 2001 season anywhere in the state of Washington. A number of EGM's were trapped, including two in Crown Hill. We are currently asking WSDA to tell us what sort of treatment program they will propose for 2002.