Medfly Spawns Proliferation of Questions

As the Mediterranean fruit fly was reported in a new San Gabriel Valley neighborhood, Los Angeles city and county politicians on Tuesday raised questions about agricultural officials’ still unsuccessful effort to eradicate the pest.

Los Angeles City Council members asked the state to reconsider alternatives to repeated pesticide applications, and county supervisors sharply questioned agriculture officials about their handling of the Medfly campaign.

The political fallout was accompanied by more bad news on the Medfly front: Two pregnant Medflies were detected for the first time in Glendora, prompting agricultural officials to include that community in an aggressive new attack plan that calls for at least 12 rounds of aerial spraying of malathion. Officials have not set a date or boundaries for the new spray zone.

At Los Angeles City Hall, council members unanimously approved a motion by Councilman Richard Alatorre requesting the state Department of Agriculture to look at alternatives to aerial applications, such as widespread fruit stripping and ground spraying. These tactics were tried unsuccessfully in the early months of a Northern California infestation in 1981, an outbreak that eventually cost the state’s agriculture industry millions of dollars.

Alatorre, who represents Eastside neighborhoods being subjected to multiple aerial applications, said the order for increased spraying stems from a “crisis in poor planning and irresponsibility” on the part of state and county agricultural officials.

Although his motion fell short of calling for an outright ban on aerial spraying, Alatorre said that “the state has to look at some other alternatives. . . .”

“It seems to me that the effect on human lives should be taken into account. I believe it could create a health hazard,” he said.

County and state agricultural officials insist that the aerial application of a mixture of fly-baiting molasses and trace measures of malathion poses no health risk. Federal officials say the health implications of malathion have not been fully researched.

Several council members expressed irritation that city officials have received virtually no information about the eradication program and the effects of malathion spraying from agricultural officials.

Councilman Joel Wachs said he will introduce a motion later this week calling for a public hearing with agricultural authorities, saying: “There is great concern about this all over the city. We have the duty to safeguard the community.”

About 10 residents testified before the council in favor of Alatorre’s motion.

“We can tolerate spraying once or twice. But reasonable people all over are stepping back and are saying, ‘Enough is enough,’ ” said Wilma Sur, 42, of Mt. Washington. “The tactic they take is to say there is an emergency, so they don’t have to respond to the public. It’s just not right.”

Gov. George Deukmejian declared that the Medfly crisis was an emergency last August at the first Elysian Park outbreak, clearing the way for the state to spray over residential neighborhoods under a special permit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Alatorre said it was not “realistic” to propose a ban on aerial spraying in Los Angeles because the decision “is not up to one municipality.”

He said he will urge other cities to make similar appeals to the state. He called his approved motion “the beginning of an organized effort to pressure” the state to find other methods to battle the Medfly.

Isi Siddiqui, assistant director of the state Department of Food and Agriculture, said alternatives suggested by Alatorre will not eradicate the Medfly.

“Fruit stripping and ground spraying alone will not be able to eradicate the infestations. We tried that in 1981 and it did not work,” Siddiqui said, noting that a panel of scientific experts had advised the Medfly combatants last week to increase aerial spraying.

While the council questioned the Medfly program, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also provided a forum for debate about the eradication effort. In a session punctuated by protests from residents of neighborhoods targeted for spraying, county Agricultural Commissioner Leon Spaugy was grilled by supervisors about efforts to inform the public about how it might help curtail the infestation.

“I don’t think the public knows what they can do to prevent the Medfly infestation and, therefore, reduce spraying,” Supervisor Ed Edelman lectured Spaugy.

Afterward, Spaugy said he will explore the possibility of launching an information campaign, which would include putting up billboards and taking out radio and television commercials.

The supervisors, however, made no effort to delay the spraying. Spaugy had been ordered to appear before the board by Edelman, who called the repeated aerial sprayings planned for sections of Los Angeles and Orange counties, including parts of his district, “intolerable.”

Edelman, a Democrat, said he does not believe that he could obtain the votes to urge the governor to delay spraying. The board is controlled by Republican allies of the governor.

Spaugy, who also heads the Medfly eradication effort in Los Angeles County, told the supervisors, “We only have two tools available to eradicate the fly. One is malathion bait and the other is the use of sterile flies.”

He said a shortage of sterile flies, which are used to breed the pest out of existence, has forced more spraying.

“I think you’re missing a third source of help,” Edelman said, contending that an intense effort is required to educate the public about the danger of transporting fruit into the country or out of quarantined neighborhoods, the practice that officials say has helped to spread the infestation.

“I don’t see any billboards. I don’t see anything on TV,” Edelman said. “I think a public service campaign would be very effective rather than just relying on spraying.”

MAP OF SPRAYING AREA:Page B2

BATTLING THE MEDFLY Los Angeles County will conduct aerial spraying of malathion tonight. Area: 12 square miles encompassing parts of Burbank and North Hollywood. Time: 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Precautions: Stay indoors; keep animals indoors; wash animal dishes and toys left outside; cover cars; keep doors and windows closed. Information: Toll-free numbers for the Agricultural Commissioner: (800) 356-2894; (800) 225-1346.