Tax increase for pesticide spraying
Last week the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District (SLCMAD) held a board meeting and a vote on a plan to increase property taxes, in order to buy a helicopter and ramp up pesticide spraying. The vote passed unanimously by the board, completely disregarding public opposition and health hazards. The public should not be forced to fund an increase in a public health hazard that directly affects them.
“It makes no sense to expose hundreds of thousands of people to neurotoxic chemicals in a vain attempt to prevent a different neurotoxic disease (West Nile Virus) in a few dozen people. For SLCMAD to now raise property taxes to conduct even more spraying is making bad public policy even worse.” said UPHE Board President, Brian Moench, M.D.
An article in ABC4 cites some of our causes for concern about spraying, including but not limited to brain development in infants, air pollution, loss of biodiversity, and inadequately educated decision makers.
Sign the petition calling for a two year moratorium on chemical pesticide spraying.
