Choppers Ready for 2nd Medfly Spraying

Barring high winds or a surprise shower, a trio of helicopters will lift off from the Camarillo Airport tonight and spray pesticide over 16 square miles of residences, schools and orchards in the state’s second assault on the crop-destroying Medfly.

Officials said tonight’s operation, part of a six-month campaign to eradicate the voracious pest, will follow the same pattern as the first spraying two weeks ago. Helicopters will cross into the spray zone at 9 p.m. sharp, then return to the airport twice to refuel and refill tanks holding a mixture of malathion and corn syrup bait.

The spraying is expected to be finished by 1 a.m.

“We’re almost getting to a normal routine,” county Agricultural Commissioner Earl McPhail said Tuesday.

Forecasters called for mostly clear skies and an afternoon sea breeze dying down after sunset. Weak sundowner winds were predicted for Santa Barbara County but were not expected to reach into Ventura County.

A group of county residents calling themselves Group Against Spraying People said they plan to stage a small protest at the airport before the helicopters lift off.

“Who knows what the long-term effects are?” asked GASP organizer Terri Gaishin. “They have no proof this isn’t going to damage people in the long term. People are buying into the county’s downplaying of the dangers and effectiveness of the program.”

Dr. Gary Feldman, the county’s public health officer, said 12 people reported adverse effects after the first spraying, and one Camarillo doctor turned in a pesticide illness report.

The physician said his patient suffered “asthma symptoms and a lot of anxiety.” The doctor said, however, that based on his exam, he did not believe the problems resulted from exposure to the malathion mixture.

The number of illnesses reported in Ventura County corresponds to the response in Riverside County when the city of Corona was sprayed for six months, he said.

Despite those reports, Feldman said he does not believe aerial spraying poses a threat to the general public. All the problems reported in Riverside County disappeared within a few days.

“I think it’s been clear all along that there are individuals who have some special sensitivity,” he said. “You do something to 35,000 people and some people are going to have effects.”

*

Meanwhile, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday extended its declaration of a local emergency for another two weeks so the county could collect state or federal emergency funds if they become available.

The supervisors also praised Camarillo residents for supporting the eradication program.

“It went off with little problem two weeks ago, and I don’t anticipate anything this time either,” said Supervisor Maggie Kildee, who represents the Camarillo area.

Addressing the supervisors, McPhail said he was pleased with the eradication efforts, as well as with the response of a Japanese delegation that inspected the quarantine area.

The delegation had been dispatched to Ventura County to determine if Japan should ban fruit from the entire county or state. Japan announced Friday it would embargo fruit only from the quarantine area.

“We pulled off a real coup,” McPhail said. “We turned them around 180 degrees. They left happy.”

*

McPhail said residents should expect 10 to 12 aerial treatments over the next six months, depending on the weather this winter. A warmer winter would shorten the life cycle of the Mediterranean fruit fly and require fewer treatments if no new flies are found.

Sixty-three flies have been found in Ventura County, all but one on the property of St. John’s Seminary off Lewis Road. No flies have been found since Oct. 6.

Officials with the Cooperative Medfly Project said the number of calls to an information hot line have dropped off since the day of the spraying, when lines were flooded with 1,200 inquiries.

Officials said they received 82 calls Tuesday. The hot line (1-800-491-1899) will operate today from 7 a.m. until the operation is complete.

“The residents have been through this once before,” said Carla Agar, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “They seem to be fairly comfortable with the operation, and I don’t anticipate any problems.”

Those who work and live in Camarillo were gearing up for the second spraying by picking up plastic car covers and organizing volunteer crews to wash down schools within the spray zone.

*

Sam Love, assistant principal at Las Colinas School, said parents planned to be on the elementary campus early Thursday to wipe the sticky drops from picnic tables, doorknobs and metal playground equipment. As a precaution, he said, students would be kept off the grass the day after the spraying.

A group of growers and packinghouse managers, called the Ventura County Fruitfly Action Cooperative Taskforce, also planned to pitch in with the school cleanup.

The group Tuesday was passed out plastic sheets to protect car finishes. Before the first spraying, lines of residents snatched up about 15,000 plastic sheets within a few hours.

This time, however, the demand appears to be lower, said Elisabeth Brokaw, the task force’s executive director.

“It’s all very calm and there are no lines,” she said.

For more information on the tarps, call the task force at 642-1811.

What to Do Aerial spraying of malathion is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.

State and federal agencies report that malathion has been studied extensively, and there is no evidence that it causes cancer, birth defects, nerve damage, eye damage or cumulative injury. But residents are cautioned to avoid exposure.

Officials also recommend that the following precautions be taken during and after spraying:

* Remain indoors if possible while spraying is in progress.

* If outdoors, avoid looking up at the falling droplets.

* If in contact with spray, wash residue from skin and clothing with soap and water.

* Do not leave laundry outdoors when spraying is scheduled. If laundry is soiled, wash before wearing.

* Put your car in a garage or carport or cover it with a plastic tarp to prevent paint damage when spraying is scheduled.

* If your car is outside during spraying, wash it the next day to prevent paint damage.

* Rinse plastic skylights and awnings the day after spraying to prevent permanent stains.

* Cover fish ponds before spraying and uncover shortly after to minimize water contamination while avoiding oxygen depletion.

* After an area has been sprayed, wash outdoor eating areas, playground equipment and objects such as toys and pet food dishes that may have been outside during spraying.

* Dogs and cats can be taken inside for their owners’ peace of mind, but they will not be harmed if left outside.

* Avoid harvesting home-grown fruits and vegetables for three days after spraying.

* Rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables with water before cooking or eating them, just as you should with store-bought items.

Additional information about malathion is available by calling (800) 491-1899.

Medfly Quarantine and Eradication Areas Three Bell helicopters are scheduled to leave Camarillo Airport and arrive in the Medlfy spray zone at 9 tonight. They will head first to the northeast end of the zone and fly south from there. During the three-to-four-hour operation, the helicopters will return to the airport twice to reload. Source: State Department of Food and Agriculture