rEPORT sPRAYING
NEWS FROM OUR DIRECTOR
UPDATES FROM PATTY MAYALL:
From: patty mayall
Date: Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 1:48 PM
Subject: Call to Action AB99!
To: (Group.io email lists)
Greetings All,
It's ON-- AB 99 is alive and going to the Senate Appropriations Committee Aug.15th, so please voice your support TODAY, asap, as there will be no call- in or public testimony on this one (like we did last year).
The calls and/ or emails to the committee chair and members are needed now!
Here's all the info on who and how to contact by email with a sample letter (or just encourage them to support AB 99, give your own reasons) :
https://www.sonomasass.org/post/ab99-back-for-senate-vote-call-to-action
*WE need To Call our Senator Becker : 650-233-2724
He is on the committee, supported AB 99 last year, so ask for that support now and for his help to advocate for AB 99 with the committee Chair Anna Caballero--- he could make a big impact, especially if hears from us !
-- Leave a message or ask for his chief of staff Bryan King.
(You can also thank Senator Becker and Aide Joan Dentler for the years of help dealing with Caltrans on this roadside spraying issue in our area.)
*Please call Chair Anna Caballero : 650- 916-651-4014 (leave a message or ask for her chief of staff Luis Quinonez--please vote FOR AB 99 !)
IF AB 99 makes it through this committee and a couple more hurdles, it could be working for us in 2025 !
Finally, communities will have 24 hour notification on any spraying (not required nor given now) and BEST of all, Caltrans will be required to respect our local Resolution (ending broadcast roadside spraying on county roads) for state
Hwys. 1, 84, 35, 280, 92--- and in other counties throughout our golden state !
We still never know what, when, and where Caltrans will be spraying (we documented signs of broadcast spraying on Hwy. 280 in March / April, but no answers on that from anyone).
Remember when Caltrans told us they do not spray on Hwy, 1, yet they have and still can (we documented Caltrans broadcast spraying one year on a Saturday of the Pumpkin Festival) !
Plus, public records have shown all the toxic spraying done in SMC on the state highways (and in other counties of Ca.) while alternatives like mowing and clearing vegetation work best for all purposes.
For all the reasons we know for protecting our health and environment, let's end this unnecessary source of toxic pollution and pass AB 99 !
YOUR continued activism on this issue has brought us this far, so let's keep it going: eyes on the prize for our planet !
I will keep you posted.
With gratitude,
Patty
Patty Mayall
Director, Protect Our Watershed San Mateo County
www.protectourwatershed.org
--
From: pattymayall
Date: Mon, Jul 8, 2024, 12:00 AM
Subject: In the news: your comments needed!
To: (Group.io lists)
Greetings All,
https://www.almanacnews.com/environment/2024/07/02/environmental-groups-launch-petition-for-total-county-ban-on-herbicide-spraying/#comment-150441
Finally, some news coverage thanks to The Almanac! Please post your comments on this issue which will help us tremendously and encourage more publicity which we need to show our county representatives.
They have been more talk than action on this issue for over a year now, sorry to say, and here's the latest.
Last summer, Melinda MacNaughton of El Granada Advocates began asking for answers with countless calls, emails and meetings regarding pesticide spraying in SMC parks and lands. We thought it would lead to some answers and more importantly, ACTION after our meeting with county Parks Director Nick Calderon, Supervisors Pine and Mueller a few months ago.
During that meeting, we were assured that the county would NOT go back to broadcast spraying the roadsides and that we may not need to take our "ASKS" letter/ petition to the Board of Supervisors, as Pine told us, by working with them. It appeared that we achieved a few of our ASKS regarding public notifications, records, and contracts. Yet, that remains to be seen, unfortunately.
So, Melinda recently did a public records request and wrote another email to Supervisor Mueller, calling for action (see below).
Still, NO action on this while spraying continues, as the records show (and as we saw in La Honda at the DPW Corp. Yard last spring). What we've learned:
there is little to no accountability and transparency; no notifications are required; and monthly pesticide use records that ARE required do not show locations nor amounts, only the pesticide products used and the dates.
Just as disturbing is the intensive lobbying and legislation work of the petrochemical industry and their allies to UNDO local control ordinances and resolutions that reduce pesticide use. That's how effective our grassroots work has been, and why we need to continue this work more than ever, locally and nationally.
We've seen our own allies (in the past) switch to promoting toxic spraying "for invasive plants" instead of promoting effective alternatives and protecting public health and our environment. Call them out on this (as some of you have, thank you) !
There are no "spray police" in our county, and we've trusted that the historic Resolution passed in 2012 would be followed.
It is pretty much up to US to be the watch dogs and to get answers and action.
So please, post comments on the article above, share with others, and help us gather more signatures.
We need to show public support for more media coverage and for when we go to the Board of Supervisors on this.
I'll keep you posted. We cannot thank you enough for all of YOUR support and actions which keep us going!
With gratitude,
Patty
Patty Mayall
Director, Protect Our Watershed SMC
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: MELINDA MacNaughton
Date: Thu, Jun 27, 2024 at 4:57 PM
Subject: CALL TO ACTION: more disturbing news about pesticides being used in the County
To: Ray Mueller <rmueller@smcgov.org>
6/27/24
Dear Supervisor Mueller:
Urgent Update about County pesticides usedI am contacting you to get ahead of this potential liability, environmental contamination, and bad press. The SMC DPW landscaper, Bayscape, is applying several pesticides containing PFAS, POEAs and glyphosate. The disturbing part is they are sprayed frequently 21-34x in the space of one month happening this year as recent as April and May. The specific chemicals are Ranger Pro and Prosecutor. See my email of public records pulled. Round Up Pro Max is also being used directly by DPW service as described in my last email (6/17/24) and by Patty at Protect Our Watershed SMC in previous emails and phone calls. These two chemicals contain 41% glyphosate and POEA which is 3650x more toxic than glyphosate. These are very toxic chemicals flowing into our watershed where people in La Honda and other areas drink the water from the creeks.
We request an immediate moratorium on the chemicals highlighted in this letter and our previous email enclosed. These include any chemicals listed as containing PFAS, POEA, and glyphosate. These chemicals should not be sprayed on our lands which are interconnected with our air, water, and food. Please see attached research and reports to confirm.
California state regulations on pesticides are slack compared to less Ag intense states due to pesticide industry pressure. That is why it is so important for our local municipalities to restrict the most dangerous chemicals being pushed and to oppose preemption of pesticides at the federal level in the draft farm bill.
Please keep in mind when viewing public records, the quantity is likely to be larger than what is recorded as they add inerts and water to the concentrates to make the product more toxic. Granulars are also used here which they broadcast on the ground or mixed with inerts and water. These granular solids if eaten by wildlife can be toxic.
DIMENSION 270-G- contains PFAS
QUALI-PRO ORYZALIN 4 - oryzalin
RANGER PRO HERBICIDE, commercial grade > 41%
glyphosate and POEA
TURFLON ESTER -triclopyr
QUALI-PRO GLYPHOSATE PLUS HERBICIDE – 41% glyphosate
LESCO PRE-M AQUACAP HERBICIDE pre-emergent, Pendimethalin
MERIT 2F INSECTICIDE imidacloprid
SAF-T-SIDE FOR GROVE TREES petroleium oil
MONTEREY HERBICIDE HELPER Alkyphenol ethoxylate
LESCO PROSECUTOR PRO NON-SELECTIVE HERBICIDE – 41% glyphosate
PROKOZ GLYPHOSATE PRO 4 HERBICIDE > 41% glyphosate
DIMENSION 2EW – Dithiopyr, contains PFAS
PENDULUM AQUACAP HERBICIDE - pendimethalin: N-(1-ethylpropyl)-3,4-dimethyl-2,6-dinitrobenzenamine.
Glyphosate: It has been scientifically proven and peer reviewed research shows that glyphosate alone in ultra low dose form affects human and animal DNA and endocrine systems No dose is safe. Please see attached research. Industry will say it is safe for obvious reasons. As they are pushing their weight with the EPA, they also do so at many levels of government pushing IPM policy protective of pesticides.
EPA regulation clarification:
They do not regulate or assess the cumulative effects of chemicals they approve.
They do not test inert ingredients added to premix pesticides.
They have outdated allowable levels and regulations are not keeping up with the problems pesticides are creating in humans and ecosystems.
Parks:
Dennis, at Irvine County has not heard from Nicholas to discuss alternatives to pesticide and alternatives they can use on Eucalyptus stumps. Garlon is what Parks use on the stumps and it contains PFAS and PEOAs.
Nicholas is not willing to post notifications about all pesticides used in the Parks and we do not understand his reasoning. I forwarded emails about this.
Amending Contracts:Question: do you plan to take the contract amendments to executive committee or have on meeting agenda? Wondering how we can support you in this?
Staff contracts need to call out specifically that no employees can participate in the pesticide industry rewards programs or receive visa cash cards from them. The pesticide industry has specific loopholes they use to gift government employees and they do in a way that is untraceable. 3rd party contractors bid low because they count on using public funds to participate in cash rewards programs industry provides. It is not good enough to talk about gifts in general in the staff contract or 3rd party contracts. Please use the specific language that we sent.
I am emailing you the excel spread sheets of public records pulled. They are difficult to read when printed. Please look for those. Please contact me and let me know what you are willing to do about this public health hazard and liability. This information will go out to the public soon. If you wish to speak to Non-Toxic Neighborhood Scientists and Professors who work on this information and research, please let me know and I am happy to help schedule a phone call with them. You can find a list of their advisors here: https://nontoxicneighborhoods.org/our-advisors/
Thank you in advance for your responsiveness,
Melinda MacNaughton
650 712-7712
Research links and articles:
Ultra low dose effects of glyphosate/mortality in bumble bees
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-pesticide-exposure-affect-fish-generations.html#google_vignette
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.672532/full
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.13867
POEA more toxic than glyphosate
The surfactant POEA in the glyphosate based herbicide Ranger Pro….https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691522005786
https://detoxproject.org/glyphosate/roundup-is-more-toxic-than-glyphosate/
PFAS explained and pesticide contamination
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-10/final-virtual-pfas-explainer-508.pdf
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2023/06/maine-data-unveils-troubling-trend-55-pfas-related-chemicals
--
04/29/19
From: Patty Mayall
Sent: To Group List
-------- Original message --------
Date: 4/29/19 4:56 PM (GMT-08:00)
Subject: Tell Caltrans to CLEAR Hwy. 84 /Post No Spray Signs Please!
Greetings All,
We still have no solid protection from broadcast herbicide spraying along our State roads, like Hwys. 84 & 35. Caltrans tends to do more spraying in years of more rainfall. If you live along these roads, posting NO SPRAY signs is your best protection (attached).
If you need free, laminated signs on wood posts, please contact me by email or call my cell: 650-815-9115.
Contacting Caltrans to CUT the vegetation is more important than ever for fire safety and visibility especially along Hwy. 84 (west of Hwy.35), as you can see!
This can also help stop broadcast herbicide spraying along Hwy.84 in our community. Please do this today: Go to http://www.dot.ca.gov/d4/d4address.html
Click on "I want to report a problem" then select Landscaping, Weeds, specify the area as ON Hwy. 84, La Honda, San Mateo Co., (the city comes up "Redwood City" and that's why you need to further explain our area in the other fields provided) :
ON Hwy. 84 West of Hwy. 35 to Hwy. 1, both lanes. In the space provided, request clearing and cutting of vegetation and NO broadcast spraying of herbicides.
If you cannot go online, please call Caltrans at 510-286-4444.
Have you noticed the super clearing work that was done on Hwy. 84 EAST of 35 ? Caltrans does NOT spray there, as per an agreement with Woodside, and the clearing work was the concerted effort of the Woodside Fire District, the San Mateo Co. Resource Conservation District (RCD), the San Mateo Co. Fire Safe Council and Caltrans. Our Senator Jerry Hill is supporting this work and advised us to connect with these agencies, which we are doing, and we are hopeful that this is a positive move towards ending Caltrans' roadside broadcast spraying in our area!
We need YOUR help to achieve the same work here on 84 West of 35, and the RCD advised us to get the community to put in requests to Caltrans (at the link above) to prioritize this. Our state has grant money to fund these efforts, so let's be a part of this work which will also help negate the need for broadcast herbicide spraying on 84.
After you put in your request to Caltrans, they will reply with a "ticket" like the one below from my request. Then, they let you know when the ticket is "closed" which is supposed to be when the work is done. Let's put this to the test, and we will have it documented to report to Senator Jerry Hill, IF the work is not done.
Have others in your household do one, please! Once you receive your ticket, please save it, and let me know if you hear from them further (or just forward their emails if easier so I can keep the records).
Hwy. 84 is overgrown with vegetation due to Caltrans NOT cutting and clearing for years which we have supported and IS the most effective method to control the brush encroaching the roadway now. Broadcast spraying toxic chemicals threatens our health, water resources, and wildlife, and did not control Hwy. 84 vegetation, as we have seen over the years. Please visit our website to see the list of toxic chemicals used by Caltrans, to download free No Spray signs, and for more info: www.protectourwatershed.org.
Our COUNTY roads have been maintained without broadcast roadside herbicide spraying since 2012 when the SMC Board of Supervisors passed the resolution ending that dangerous practice along our county roads and parks.
OUR voices and work made a difference then and need to be heard now to clear STATE roadsides like 84, west of 35, and to stop the broadcast spraying!
Please share this email with friends and neighbors, and let me know if you need No Spray signs.
With gratitude,
Patty Mayall
Director, Protect Our Watershed San Mateo County
www.protectourwatershed.org
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Caltrans Division of Maintenance <No_Reply_Address@dot.ca.gov>
Date: Wed, Apr 3, 2019 at 12:00 AM
Subject: Customer Service Request - Ticket #: 748184 Opened
To: <pattymayall@gmail.com>
Thank you for taking the time to send Caltrans a Customer Service Request and for helping the Department repair California’s aging transportation infrastructure. Caltrans staff will send an email to the address you used to contact us, confirming that we received this highway service request, with a confirmation number for the job. We handle service requests Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will address this as soon as possible.
If you need to talk to us about this, please call 916-654-2852. If this is an emergency, please call 911 or the highway patrol.
We sincerely appreciate your concern and request. Thank you for letting Caltrans staff know about the issue so we can repair it as soon as possible.
Type of Situation: Landscaping - Weeds, Trees, Brush
CSR Ticket Number: 748184
Date Submitted: 2019-04-03 00:00:38
California County: San Mateo
State Highway Route: 84
Direction of Travel: Both
Nearest Cross Street: Old La Honda Rd.
Nearest Town or City: Redwood City
Mode of Transportation: Car
Date & Time Situation Noticed: 2019-03-31 11 am - 12 noon
Nature of Situation: Vegetation removal needed on Hwy.84 WEST of Hwy. 35, traveling WEST to Hwy.1. Brush encroaches both sides of Hwy. 84, is a fire & visibility hazard, & blocks bicycle lanes. NO broadcast Spraying of Herbicides needed, as only cutting and removal of the large bushes & weeds will improve the area. Toxic herbicides endanger residents' health, water resources, wildlife of the area, and San Mateo Co. has NOT sprayed county roads & parks since 2012. Thank you.
Geographic Location of Situation: Hwy. 84 WEST of Hwy. 35, Old La Honda Rd., La Honda area traveling WEST to Hwy. 1.
Your Email Address:
Your Name:
Your Phone Number:
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