March Against Malathion : Residents Protest Pesticide Spraying in Camarillo

About 30 adults and children gathered outside Ventura County’s public health office Tuesday to protest continuing applications of the pesticide malathion in Camarillo.

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Even as helicopters were being readied for a sixth aerial spraying Tuesday night, the protesters carried signs and sang songs voicing concerns over the safety of the aerial applications that began nearly three months ago.

State and federal agricultural and health officials have ignored significant medical research showing that malathion can have detrimental effects on humans, protest organizers said.

Terry Gaishin, a Camarillo mother who helped organize the protest, suggested that the pesticide may cause further harm to youngsters in the spray zone who have leukemia or other cancers.

“According to a Yale University study, malathion has been shown to cause leukemia,” said Gaishin, gesturing toward stacks of literature about malathion that protesters brought to the demonstration.

She said residents should be warned of any possible health danger.

“The state is not adequately warning people about the risks of malathion,” Gaishin said.

The protesters, who belong to a loose-knit organization called Group Against Spraying People, said they targeted Dr. Gary Feldman, Ventura County public health officer, because he is charged with warning residents about possible health hazards.

Feldman met with seven of the protesters at 1:30 p.m., about 2 1/2 hours after the demonstration began outside his office on Loma Vista Road in Ventura. The meeting lasted two hours, Feldman said.

Although the GASP members failed to convince Feldman that aerial applications of malathion are dangerous, he did agree to review additional information about possible toxic effects of the chemical.

“I think the risks are quite minimal,” Feldman said. “But there is a lot that is not known about malathion, particularly its long-term effects.”

Several protesters brought their children, who carried signs with such slogans as “Gov. Wilson, why are you spraying poison on children?”

Beth Fraley, who moved her family from the spray zone shortly after aerial applications began, said she decided to bring her 9-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son to the protest as a civics lesson.

“My daughter is learning about her civil rights right now,” Fraley said as she planted more posters in a grassy area outside the public health clinic.

The protesters said their goal is to broaden public awareness about the dangers of malathion and stop aerial spraying of the pesticide over Camarillo.

Five applications of malathion have been sprayed over a 16-square-mile Medfly eradication zone in east Camarillo since the first fruit fly was found there Sept. 29.

The sixth aerial spraying was scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Tuesday, said Larry Hawkins, spokesman for the state Cooperative Medfly Project. Residents in the spray zone can expect up to six more applications before the program is completed, he said.