Supervisors Extend Pesticide Spraying to Fight New Pest--the Mexfly

Los Angeles County supervisors Tuesday grudgingly extended an emergency proclamation to cover pesticide spraying to eradicate a new pest, the Mexican fruit fly.

The action came only after board members complained bitterly about the state’s lengthy battle against the Mediterranean fruit fly.

Joining the supervisors in condemning the state were city officials from infested neighborhoods in the southeastern part of the county. They complained about the state’s plans to spray their communities every other week into June.

Supervisor Ed Edelman chided agriculture officials Tuesday for failing to stick to a May 9 deadline to end the spraying against the Medfly. And Supervisor Pete Schabarum griped about continued use of El Monte Airport, in his district, as the base for the malathion-spewing helicopters.

“You announced that May 9 was going to be the last date for malathion spraying, and that has already slipped,” Schabarum told state Department of Food and Agriculture officials. “So you don’t mind if I have a little bit of reservation about the genuineness of your representation.”

Edelman, questioning the effectiveness of the 10-month aerial attack on the Medfly, said: “I am wondering if it makes sense to embark on the same kind of program for the Mexican fruit fly. If it hasn’t worked as effectively in ridding Southern California of one bug, how is it going to work in ridding the county of this other bug?”

Supervisors, nonetheless, approved the emergency proclamation, which shields the county from liability in connection with the eradication program.

Don Henry of the state agriculture department assured Schabarum that the helicopters will stop using El Monte Airport after tonight. He said Medfly officials are looking for another airport.

Compton College Trustee Emily Hart Holifield said Tuesday that urban areas, such as Compton, have already suffered enough without the health problems that pesticide spraying might cause.

“We’ve had gang-bangers, shootings and, now, we have malathion,” she told a news conference.

Lynwood City Councilman Armando Rea said the spraying is only aggravating a related environmental problem--the water shortage. After each spraying, he said, thousands of cars have to be washed, as do playground equipment and outdoor picnic tables.