State won't spray over cities for moth pest

Aerial spraying was ruled out Thursday as a means of eliminating the light brown apple moth from cities around the Bay Area.

State and federal agriculture officials announced that instead they are gearing up to release millions of sterile moths in areas where the Australian insect is most numerous. The aim is to disrupt the moth's breeding cycle and eradicate a pest that the officials say poses a threat to numerous crops, including wine grapes.

The proposed application of special twist ties will go forward in a moth quarantine area in the Sonoma Valley where property owners have questioned the safety of the 8-inch ties, which are laced with a synthetic chemical that confuses the male apple moth.

State agriculture officials said the unexpected success in creating the sterile moths has prompted the change of approach, not the intense opposition that aerial spraying has generated from Marin to Monterey counties.

California Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura suggested the new approach could avoid further conflict in the courts, the Legislature and with Bay Area residents.

"The public concern has always been troubling to me," Kawamura said in a telephone press conference Thursday.

He also addressed the use of the twist ties in the Sonoma Valley. "These are the safest, most environmentally sound tools . . . that we can put into play," Kawamura said.

He acknowledged that state officials need to do a better job educating the public on the value of eradicating invasive insects, and he urged Sonoma residents to listen to public health and environmental safety officials.

Critics, who maintain that the moth isn't a serious threat and who have questioned the safety of the chemicals involved, applauded the decision to do away with aerial spraying over cities.

"That's fantastic news," said Yannick Phillips of Sonoma. She is credited with sparking the opposition to the twist ties through a door-to-door campaign in two Sonoma Valley neighborhoods.

In the past year, the apple moth has been detected in most Bay Area counties and south to Monterey. Two moths were discovered this year in Sonoma County, which resulted in a 15-square-mile quarantine area extending from western Sonoma north to Eldridge.

The state, which maintains that the moth could do considerable damage to crops and the environment, conducted aerial spraying last year over Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. The spray involved a synthetic pheromone similar to that used in the twist ties.

Nearly 500 people in the spray areas later reported feeling symptoms ranging from itchy eyes to breathing trouble. State environmental health experts issued a report that concluded the symptoms couldn't be linked to the spraying. Critics countered that the state couldn't demonstrate that the spray wasn't responsible.

Officials had planned to resume spraying this summer or fall in such areas as San Francisco and Marin County. Officials emphasized that Sonoma County was never targeted for spraying.

But earlier this year, judges in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties halted the spraying program until the state studied the spray's effect on people and the environment.

Kawamura said Thursday the environmental studies will continue.

The state has fought pests using sterile insects for 20 years, including the Mediterranean fruit fly. The state hopes to first release about 500,000 sterile moths in a pilot program next year.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, applauded Thursday's announcement on the end of spraying.

But he said he wants more details on where the state still might conduct aerial spraying. Officials have told him they may seek to spray over "uninhabited" areas.

Huffman said he still is concerned about areas used for recreation or for drinking water supplies. "It's not as simple as simply saying that uninhabited areas are OK," he said.

Sonoma County farm representatives and officials expressed hope that a discussion could now begin with Sonoma Valley residents on the safety of the twist ties and the risks that growers face from the moth and the related quarantine rules.

With aerial spraying out of the picture, people may "get past some of the emotions" in discussing how to best eradicate the moth, said Nick Frey, president of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.

Gina Paisley, a resident in the area slated for the twist ties, said she wants to hear from farmers and others about the potential dangers of both the moth and the twist ties.

"What do we stand to gain?" Paisley asked in regard to the state's plans. "What does our agriculture stand to gain? What do we have to lose?"

You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale@

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