In September 2015, we circulated a petition, mainly in the southwest quadrant of the Borough of West Chester, calling on the Chester County Health Department not to spray pesticides for mosquito control in West Chester.

We rapidly collected 425 signatures from local residents, and 98% of the individuals to whom we talked signed in opposition to the spraying.

Please read the petition below and let us know that you are willing to add your signature.

Petition to Ban Pesticide Spraying for Mosquitoes in West Chester Borough

Many US cities including Washington DC have banned spraying for mosquitoes for public health reasons. Cleveland Ohio stopped spraying after five suburbs enacted bans. These communities mobilized to stop ineffective, unnecessary and toxic mosquito spraying which jeopardized the health of their citizens. The Chester County Health department continues to spray the pesticide Permanone from truck mounted dispensers in the Borough of West Chester and throughout Chester County despite thefact that mosquito fogging has been shown to be ineffective against the spread of West Nile virus (Reddy, 2006) and poses significant risks to human health and the environment.

The following diseases have been linked to pesticide exposure: cancer, Parkinson’s disease, asthma, learning disabilities, adhd, autism, diabetes, endocrine disorders and Alzheimer’s disease.

In light of the evidence that:

Ground-based spraying has not been shown to be effective at controlling mosquito populations

The CDC says that spraying pesticides intended to kill adult mosquitoes is the least efficient control measure

Neither the EPA nor CDC have provided scientific studies showing that spraying pesticides on adult mosquitoes reduces the incidence of WNV in people

The spraying of pesticides poses a risk to human health and the environment

The EPA says that no pesticide can be considered “safe” and Federal law prohibits manufacturers of pesticides from labeling their products as “safe or non-toxic” even when used as directed

Evidence and experience suggest that the more effective way of managing the mosquito population is by larvacide treatment and educational outreach

The risk benefit analysis by experts clearly indicates that the dangers of WNV are minimal and affect a very small segment of the population and that the long term health and environmental risks of spraying with pesticides poses a much greater risk

Communities around the US and Canada have banned the practice of spraying pesticides for mosquito control after consulting with experts in an effort to preserve human health

We the undersigned, in an effort to protect the residents of the Borough of West Chester from the potential health risks associated with exposure to pesticides, especially where such exposure appears to have little if any benefit to residents, and in an effort to implement the safest and most effective control measures to help control the spread of WNV, do hereby request that the Borough of West Chester prohibit the spraying of pesticides within the Borough of West Chester by the Chester County Health Department relative to WNV and implement any and all other measures effective immediately.