Airplane Pesticide Spraying: Highland, Munster, Schererville, Dyer... (Indianapolis, Valparaiso: homes, high school)

[hellothereIN]

Just received a white postcard in today's mail from the Dept Natural Resources - official notice regarding public meetings for AERIAL TREATMENTS FOR GYPSY MOTHS.

That DOES mean a big yellow crop duster plane flying over your HOMES, YARDS, DOGS, CARS, SCHOOLS, PARKS, etc in MAY, 2012 dumping

FORAY 76B - a poisonous pesticide that they refer to as "harmless btk."

Btk--a bacteria that is NOT native to this area, is just ONE of many

components in FORAY 76B.

Do some research on the pesticide, please. Especially for pregnant women, children, elderly, asthmatics, people with HIV/transplant patients...THOSE ALLERGIC/SENSITIVE TO FLOUR or other ingredients contained in this FORAY 76B to be sprayed by an airplane.

Meetings to be held in Public Libraries in beginning Feb 1st. For the following counties (that I received info of)--

Fulton, Kosciusko, Lake and Porter

Also, you might want to look into "opt-out" of the spraying in May. There will be TWO scheduled dates within a week or two depending on weather. Due to health reasons, my home CANNOT be sprayed. I will call the DNR and anyone else and opt out.

Just a heads up, Town of HIGHLAND was UNAWARE of spray. Community Hospital was UNAWARE. Schools in Munster/Highland were not notified. The walkers in Wicker Park were not told. The children waiting for school buses WERE NOT TOLD - other than THIS ONE TIME WHITE POST CARD RECEIVED IN JANUARY FOR MAY SPRAYINGS!!!

Happy New Year everyone.

[Bluefox]

I've seen your previous posts on this topic...and I remain skeptical as to the seriousness of the problem. This is just mere conjecture as far as I can tell. I need to see some concrete evidence that unequivocally establishes a link between crop dusting of Foray 76B in Northwest Indiana and health problems in Northwest Indiana, or at the very least to similarly-situated areas elsewhere in the country that are subject to the same degree of exposure. I understand that this can be toxic, but I'm not seeing how proximate any harm would be to random Person X living in NWI subject to exposure to this pesticide. My instinct tells me the threat of harm, if any, from exposure to Foray 76B is negligible at best.

Furthermore, I don't see what your proposed solution is. We just let this invasive species proliferate? The gypsy moth costs the US about $868 million dollars in damages a year. What do you expect we do about that? (Source: Barbosa, P. & Greenblatt, J. (1979): Suitability, digestibility and assimilation of various host plants of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera, Lymantriidae). Oecologia 43(1): 111-119.))

[hellothereIN]

I feel at the very least the public should be given all the info: BTK IS JUST ONE COMPONENT of the FORAY 76B. The DNR refers to the product as btk - which is misleading at best since there are over 80% other ingredients in the product to be sprayed that is - protected by TRADE SECRET LAWS.

The MSDS label info claims HARMFUL IF ABSORBED THROUGH THE SKIN. Well, I can attest to the fact that the high schoolers waiting for the school buses were not wearing NIOSH N-95, R-95 or P-95 dust/mist filtering respirators. WHICH IS REQUIRED by mixers/loaders and applicators that do not have a covered cab. That repeated exposure to high concentrations can cause allergic reactions. Flour is IN THE MIX to HELP THE FLOW OF PRODUCT OUT OF AIRPLANE.

These benign post cards are sent out letting neighbors know of the meetings. I attended last year's meeting while everyone was digging out of the snow storm. I inquired about the FORAY 76B to be sprayed and was quickly told the meeting was only about the habits of the moth and I was to call the manufacturer located in Canada, which I did the next day.

Conjecture. Fine. I just want people to KNOW what is actually to be sprayed. Health problems? Good luck. The label from Valent BioSciences is where I read "2.1 HAZARDS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS CAUTION Harmful if absorbed through the skin"
Which begs the question; "Harmful to a 200 pound healthy male? Or a 40 pound kid standing on the street looking up at the airplane getting a face full waiting for the bus to go to school.

The Town of Highland was unaware of any spray program. The schools were unaware of any spray program. I just want the info to get out.

Harm is negligible? My daughter is celiac/gluten intolerant with many chemical sensitivities/allergies -- I don't want to chance it. I am by law, allowed to OPT OUT. I DONT WANT MY HOUSE, MY YARD, ETC SPRAYED WITH ANY TYPE OF "CIDE".

I want to know of any other measures available that do not pose any harm if absorbed through skin or that may pose allergic reactions. Sorry, this info is from their handling label.

Here is a chart -- Briar Ridge is definitely going to be sprayed.

Fulton

• Rochester North 12
• Rochester Northwest 12
• Rochester South 12

MD

Wednesday (2/1/2012) 6:00 pm (Eastern) Fulton County Public Library (Rochester Branch) [map] 320 West 7th. Street, Rochester Kosciusko

• 150 West 12 (Treatment Cancelled - Effective 1/19/2012)

MD

Thursday (2/2/2012)
Cancelled 6:00 pm (Eastern)
Cancelled Warsaw Public Library [map] 310 East Main Street, Warsaw Lake

• Briar Ridge 12
• Indianapolis Blvd 12
  (Treatment Cancelled - Effective 1/19/2012)
• Oak Savannah 12

MD

Tuesday (2/7/2012) 6:30 pm (Central) Lake County Public Library (Dyer-Schererville Branch) [map] 1001 West Lincoln Highway, Schererville Wednesday (2/8/2012) 6:30 pm (Central) Lake County Public Library (Hobart Branch) [map] 100 North Main Street, Hobart Porter

• Cobbs Corner 12

BTK

Tuesday (1/31/2012) 6:30 pm (Central) Prince of Peace Lutheran Church [map] 234 West Division Road, Valparaiso

[hellothereIN]

How do they stop the spread when the campers, trailers, cars, boats that are on state property during the heaviest of caterpillar awakenings are attaching themselves and being carried outside spray zones anyway??? They are usually spread by people taking wood cuts/drift wood - or the insect imbedding itself onto their vehicles.
I just noticed most of the trees sprayed near Wicker Park on Indpls Blvd, have BEEN BULLDOZED to tear down the overpass!!

No. No more. There is a good reason why the DNR will not tell us what the NAME of the ACTUAL PRODUCT is for we might just find the MSDS from Valent BioSciences that says: HARMFUL IF ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN and HAZARDOUS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS CAUTION and KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

No. I do not care about the trees we have an agreement with (Thailand?) to sell them lumber for furniture, if that's what is motivating them, if it means MY HOME AND MY YARD, POSSIBLY MY PET, OR MY CHILD will be sprayed.

Show ME where PESTICIDE is HARMLESS TO HUMANS and I will agree. Thank you