Keith from No Spray Coalition
Protesters
Alex and Jan Plonski
Truck spraying pesticides
Photo by Sander Hicks
Concerned residents joined members of the No Spray Coalition at the Church Avenue subway station off the F line in Brooklyn to protest the spraying of pesticides that occurred on Monday beginning at 7:45pm to 6:00am the following morning in Greenwood Heights, Greenwood Cemetery, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park.
“The bottom line is that spraying is no way to treat any kind of health problems,” said Mitchel Cohen, a founder of the No Spray Coalition, an organization opposed to the indiscriminate spraying of toxic pesticides. The pesticides spewed out from the trucks are used to reduce the risk of the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus but contain carcinogenic chemicals that are especially dangerous to children, the elderly, and those who are immune compromised.
Kathy Smith, a resident of the upper west side in Manhattan who came out to Brooklyn to show her support, was severely exposed to harmful pesticides in 2000 when Central Park was sprayed. “They sprayed a day earlier than they said. I became very ill. I had shortness of breath and blisters along my body.” she said.
Criticisms of the department’s failure to notify the residents in the area directly affected by the spraying further enraged residents.
“How come no one told me about this?”Alex Plonski, a resident of the area angrily asked as he approached on his bike with his son on the rear seat. “Two minutes before the deadline, I have to pull my son from the playground. There are no signs posted, nothing is posted on the radio. They should be alarming people,” he remarked in frustration.
“They’re spraying at 7:45pm when so many people are still outside and there’s no notices up which is really upsetting,” Cathryn Swan added, a resident of the Kensington neighborhood and a member of the No Spray Coalition.
According to Dr. Butz from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) who was supervising the operation in front of Greenwood Cemetery, flyers notifying residents of the spraying were distributed all around Greenwood Cemetery, however a walk and drive in the affected areas resulted in no such flyers, aside from those distributed by the No Spray Coalition.
As the spraying truck drove down the streets, an announcement was made, however at this point many, including children, were still roaming the streets burying their heads in their shirts.
“The risk of West Nile is much greater than the consequences of the spraying. We’re not going to put people at risk. We’re here to protect the public,” stated Dr. Butz.
To date, one case of the West Nile Virus in New York City on Staten Island has been reported in 2006 according to the DOHMH website.
The No Spray Coalition is currently in negotiations with the city on a series of advance notification policies to ensure residents are prepared before a spraying occurs.
“The bottom line is that spraying is no way to treat any kind of health problems,” said Mitchel Cohen, a founder of the No Spray Coalition, an organization opposed to the indiscriminate spraying of toxic pesticides. The pesticides spewed out from the trucks are used to reduce the risk of the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus but contain carcinogenic chemicals that are especially dangerous to children, the elderly, and those who are immune compromised.
Kathy Smith, a resident of the upper west side in Manhattan who came out to Brooklyn to show her support, was severely exposed to harmful pesticides in 2000 when Central Park was sprayed. “They sprayed a day earlier than they said. I became very ill. I had shortness of breath and blisters along my body.” she said.
Criticisms of the department’s failure to notify the residents in the area directly affected by the spraying further enraged residents.
“How come no one told me about this?”Alex Plonski, a resident of the area angrily asked as he approached on his bike with his son on the rear seat. “Two minutes before the deadline, I have to pull my son from the playground. There are no signs posted, nothing is posted on the radio. They should be alarming people,” he remarked in frustration.
“They’re spraying at 7:45pm when so many people are still outside and there’s no notices up which is really upsetting,” Cathryn Swan added, a resident of the Kensington neighborhood and a member of the No Spray Coalition.
According to Dr. Butz from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) who was supervising the operation in front of Greenwood Cemetery, flyers notifying residents of the spraying were distributed all around Greenwood Cemetery, however a walk and drive in the affected areas resulted in no such flyers, aside from those distributed by the No Spray Coalition.
As the spraying truck drove down the streets, an announcement was made, however at this point many, including children, were still roaming the streets burying their heads in their shirts.
“The risk of West Nile is much greater than the consequences of the spraying. We’re not going to put people at risk. We’re here to protect the public,” stated Dr. Butz.
To date, one case of the West Nile Virus in New York City on Staten Island has been reported in 2006 according to the DOHMH website.
The No Spray Coalition is currently in negotiations with the city on a series of advance notification policies to ensure residents are prepared before a spraying occurs.
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