1. The No Spray Coalition will be MEETING tonight (Monday, May 10) at our office in Brooklyn at 6:30 pm.
388 Atlantic Avenue 3rd floor walk-up (between Bond St. & Hoyt St.) in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn bus: B63 stops on corner of Bond St. train: 2,3 to Hoyt St., or A,C,G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn, or 2,3,4,5 to Nevins, or (longer walk) N,R,B,D,Q,2,3,4,5 to Pacific St./Atlantic Ave.
Please try to come. The Court case will finally be heard on July 28th, and spray season begins in a few weeks.
****************************************************** 2. PRESS CONFERENCE on TUESDAY, May 11, at 1 pm, City Hall steps.
This press conference is organized by the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
Topic: New report entitled Chemical Trespass: Pesticides in Our Bodies and Corporate Accountability, finds that Many U.S. Residents Carry Toxic Pesticides Above "Safe" Levels
The report provides new analysis of data revealing high levels of chemical pesticides found in men, women and children living in the U.S.
The report highlights: - New analyses of which groups of U.S. residents carry the highest levels of the most toxic pesticides; - Health studies suggesting the risk posed by carrying these chemicals in our bodies including special risk to developing fetuses and infants; - New analyses of corporate responsibility for pesticides found in our bodies; - Recommendations for government, industry and the public to reduce "pesticide body burdens."
Speakers include: - Leslie Lowe, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility - Skip Spitzer of PANNA, one of the authors of Chemical Trespass - Dr. Kathy Falvo, Physicians for Social Responsibility - Sister Valerie Heinonen, Mercy Investment Program, Inc. - Suzanne Mattei, Esq., New York City Sierra Club - Mitchel Cohen, No Spray Coalition
******************************************** 3. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's new "Comprehensive Mosquito Surveillance and Control Plan: 2004" is out, and many of the No Spray Coalition's issues over the last five years are touched on, for the first time. The clearly have some new public relations personnel writing the reports. However, the report is remarkable (in the bad sense) in what it concludes. Here are just two of many awful examples:
a. The City says that it will consider using adulticides that contain resmethrin, sumithrin, permethrin, dibrom, naled, or malathion.
b. "In 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 .... [there have been] NO CASES of individuals reporting to emergency deparmtents or seeking care from their physicians for health complaints related to adulticide exposure" related to the mass spraying of pesticides!!!
You are reading that right: Yes, the city is considering using malathion, et al. again; AND, according to the City, NOT A SINGLE PERSON in the entire City complained about suffering from health problems related to the spraying! (Thousands of people were sickened by the spraying.)
The lies are even more outrageous than ever. You can read the "plan" for yourself, at http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/pdf/wnv/wnvplan2004.pdf . Be sure not to be suckered by the prettified stuff at the beginning -- it's as though two completely opposite factions in the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene each wrote separate halves of the report.
******************************************** 4. The No Spray Coalition is deeply in need of funds to continue our work, and someone who knows how to do websites (to upgrade ours).
You can contribute online via credit card at www.nospray.org, or mail funds to:
The No Spray Coalition PO Box 334, Peck Slip Station NYC 10272
Hotline: (718) 670-7110 Website: www.nospray.org Listserve: sprayno at yahoogroups.com Email: editor at nospray.org or mitchelcohen at mindspring.com
Thank you so much for continuing to resist those poisoning the environment, and for supporting the work of the No Spray Coalition!
- Mitchel Cohen