Medfly Spraying Could End Soon; Then Again . . .

As he has done for the last five months, businessman Sean Donnelly dragged his Australian shepherd into the house Monday night, made sure to stay indoors himself and waited for the helicopters to make their assault on the Mediterranean fruit fly.

But whether it was to be the last time that Donnelly and thousands of his neighbors braced for the now-familiar malathion ritual was an issue as uncertain as the skies that threatened to scrub North County’s ninth spraying.

Despite rain earlier in the day, the spraying of an eight-square-mile area of Brea, La Habra and Fullerton went ahead as planned Monday night. Officials hope they will be able to say the same for their ambitious plans to end malathion use by May 9 in most of the 480 square miles of the Southland’s spray zones, turning the fight over to millions of sterile Medflies.

If so, an estimated 400,000 residents in Orange County could be saying goodby to pesticide applications as soon as Thursday night, when state helicopters are scheduled to swoop down on a 36-square-mile area around Garden Grove and Westminster for a seventh aerial treatment.

Officially at least, spraying coordinators were asserting Monday that the plans are still on target.

“Right now, we’re planning on this being the last week of spraying in both the Garden Grove zone and that Brea-La Habra (zone),” said Pat Minyard, deputy director for the Medfly Project in El Monte. “We do not have any more treatments scheduled; so from our point of view, this is it.”

Added James D. Harnett, Orange County agriculture commissioner: “The state’s in the driver’s seat, but my expectation is that this is the end of the spraying for our two areas. . . . We haven’t found any further flies in Orange County since very early on (Jan. 10) and the program seems right on track.”

Still, the signals from the state have been decidedly mixed.

Even as they talked about final rounds of spraying, state agriculture officials acknowledged that a several unanticipated developments have jeopardized the May 9 deadline, set earlier this spring amid a torrent of public criticism of the Medfly eradication campaign. A slew of new fly discoveries in the Riverside and San Bernardino areas, a possible shortage of sterile Medflies from production facilities in Hawaii, and skepticism from the state’s own scientific advisers have all threatened the prospect for an early end to the spraying, officials have said.

Questions about the future of the spray campaign could get partial answers later this week, when the state’s Medfly Science Advisory Panel meets in Los Angeles to discuss developments.

In the meantime, few seem to be rushing to toss out their car coverings or throw their windows open.

Brea resident Brenda Gorski, 26, summarized what appears to be a common view among spray zone residents: “I don’t like the stuff, and I don’t want it. But I just have a feeling that it’s not going to end any time soon. I just don’t believe it.” Agriculture officials also learned Monday that a new spray zone around Downey will include a tiny corner of Orange County. The local area is less than half a square mile, encompassing about two blocks northwest of the intersection of South Street and Valley View Avenue in La Palma. It is to be sprayed for the first time tonight. .

Residents with questions can call the state’s Medfly hot line at (800) 225-1346.