Area targeted by aerial spraying over the weekend. / Source: Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito Vector Control District website
BY BRANDY TUZON BOYD
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
Photo posted by Beau Hause on THE NATOMAS BUZZ’s Facebook page taken about 9 p.m. Sunday of the small plane making one of several passes over Macon Drive – about 3/4-mile south of Elkhorn Boulevardg.
Dozens of north Natomas residents are upset aerial spraying over the weekend was not properly noticed, possibly exposing them to chemicals meant to kill mosquitoes which could carry the West Nile virus.
Several people living in the area north of Del Paso Road and south of Elkhorn Boulevard Saturday night took to social media posting on THE NATOMAS BUZZ’s Facebook page and Twitter asking about a low-flying, small airplane which appeared to be spraying overhead.
The online dialog continued when, on Sunday night, the plane returned and resumed spraying.
“(The) plane is back and it’s spraying for sure – just dumped something on our house – we can smell and taste it,” Westlake development resident Tracy Chatters posted to Facebook on Sunday. “Still no spray notifications!”
At issue: the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito Vector Control District did not have aerial spraying scheduled for the north Natomas listed on their website nor did residents subscribed to the agency’s Fight The Bite email updates receive notification that spraying was planned for the area.
The regional agency uses several methods – including aerial spraying, ground spraying and mosquito fish placement – in an effort to reduce the risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases such as West Nile virus. Spraying alerts can be received via email, text message, Twitter or phone by calling a toll-free number.
The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito Vector Control District was prompted to schedule aerial spraying of northern Sacramento County for Friday, July 18 after more than 150 mosquito samples (collected from a trap adjacent to the Heritage Park development) tested positive for West Nile Virus the day prior.
But Gary Goodman, general manager for the vector control district, said wind conditions prevented the aerial spraying as planned and it was rescheduled for Saturday and Sunday, starting at about 9 p.m. both nights. A disclaimer on the district’s website, he said, reads that treatments are subject to change due to weather conditions. Updates were not made to the website or emailed because it was the weekend, Goodman explained.
“It is always a challenge to get that information out,” Goodman said. “Agricultural (spraying has) never been an issue.”
Goodman said the insecticides used have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Pesticide Regulation. The vector control district website reports the amount of insecticide used is not as strong as a lice treatment for children and the same material to treat pets for fleas and ticks, but adds “it is always a good idea to remain indoors and keep windows and doors closed during applications.”
The aerial spraying over the weekend was targeting rice fields north of Elkhorn Boulevard. According to Goodman, there can be a 5,000-foot offset from where the pilot releases insecticide to the target area as calculated by an on-board computer system.
“The wind will then carry the material into the specified spray block,” Goodman said. “While the planes are flying directly above your home, the material is not being deposited there.”
Map where residents said the plane flew low overhead and, in some cases, reportedly sprayed homes. / NatomasBuzz.com
Nearly 100 email and voice mail messages received by THE NATOMAS BUZZ as well as more than 100 posts on our Facebook page cite the plane flew in an east-west pattern just above residences located south of Elkhorn Boulevard. Several reported seeing spray released over homes and some said they smelled a strong odor while others suffered from sore throats and headaches the next day.
Mike Peracca, who resides on Bombay Circle about a mile south of Elkhorn Boulevard, said his home was sprayed.
“Not only could I feel a mist shortly after the plane flew over, but when it was in the distance, I could see a cloud vapor from underneath/behind the plane,” Peracca wrote in an email.
Allison Rosas, who lives further south on Nickman Way, also reported seeing mist coming from the plane overhead.
“Then I felt the mist and tasted it,” she wrote.
East of Rosas, on Boswell Court, Michelle Brown said all the windows were open at her two-story home.
“The smell filled the house and my throat is still bothering me today,” she wrote Monday.
The No. 1 complaint made by those who contacted THE NATOMAS BUZZ by email, phone or social media was that there was no advance notice of the spraying on Saturday and Sunday. Several said they subscribed to the vector control district’s email alerts and said they would have covered gardens, brought in pets, closed up their homes and remained indoors if they knew spraying was planned for the area.
“I don’t mind the spraying, but would have liked a warning of what and when spraying to be expected,” wrote Jill Benemelis, who lives about 2 miles south of Elkhorn Boulevard on Moonstone Way. “It was scary as we felt a plane was going to crash into our neighborhood.”
Robin Chatterjee lives only a few blocks from the agricultural fields targeted by aerial spraying. She said she closes her windows when alerted of spraying, but had a hard time convincing her husband to do so over the weekend.
“He didn’t believe that they could be spraying without notice,” she explained.
Mayor Pro Tem Angelique Ashby, who represents north Natomas on the city council said she hoped vector control would have someone available to provide weekend updates moving forward.
“It’s good that they were acting expeditiously due to the findings, but it only takes a few minutes to let the community know,” Ashby said. “Not one person said they don’t want them to spray, but most people said ‘we would’ve closed our windows and been inside.’ But it was too late by the time they knew what was going on.”
For more information about Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito Vector Control District spraying, go to http://www.fightthebite.net/spraying-update/
If someone took their private plane and dumped toxic chemicals on our neighborhoods without notice, it would be considered terrorism. How can vector control do this with no consequences? “not one person said they don’t want them to spray”? Can we do that? I am one person. But if you don’t know it’s going to happen how can one person stand up and say please don’t spray my house?