Pesticide Spraying in New York City
City Again Sprays Crowded City Streets
he New York City Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene sprayed the dangerous pesticide “Anvil” in sections of Brooklyn last month and continues to fog Staten Island, purportedly to kill mosquitoes which may or may not be carrying West Nile virus. City officials also ordered spraying in Queens and the Bronx.
The first spraying of the year in Brooklyn took place on the evening of August 21. The spray truck – now driven by unionized NYC workers wearing DOHMH insignias – recklessly spewed pesticides in a thick cloud down crowded 5th Avenue in Sunset Park and in the surrounding area in utter disregard of the hundreds of people walking the streets. The truck blasted pregnant women and many, many little children with the spray, and fogged people in dozens of restaurants – their doors wide open – without warning as they ate.
The City put up no signs in the neighborhoods announcing the spraying. They made no public warnings about the dangers of pesticides, the links between pesticides and asthma – which is epidemic throughout New York City -- childhood cancers, lymphomas, neurological disorders, chemical sensitivities . . . nothing. 1
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Streets of Fire
The No Spray coalition reports on carcinogenic pesticide spraying -- on my block.
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Love how they get rid of both mosquitos and pesky residents at the same time! Now only the very hardy critters of all species will be able to survive- and isn't that what NYC is all about.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, the most disturbing part of this is that the department's name is 'Department of Health and Mental Hygiene'. What's mental hygiene all about?
ReplyDeletepolicing the little masturbators.
ReplyDeleteThe hygiene part comes from the turn of the 20th century. Hygiene being "establishment and maintenance of health". Mental hygiene being the establishment and maintenance of one's mental health. Clifford Beers is credited with first describing mental hygiene. Beers was a Yale graduate. He had a breakdown and was put into an asylum for years. He eventually got out, wrote about his experience which sparked public outrage. Beers championed improved care for those with mental illness.
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