WARNING! Nashville "Health" Department's new 2008
mosquito control policy ALLOWS SPRAY TRUCK DRIVERS TO LEAVE THE SPRAY ON
WHEN PEDESTRIANS ARE PRESENT and the removes opt out rights. Click here for details!
Attorneys have told us that any pedestrian who is in plain view of
drivers and is sprayed should contact the police at 862-8600 and ask
them file an incident report. This creates a record. CLICK HERE FOR TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY AND WHAT
TO DO IN A SPRAYING EMERGENCY.
If you see a truck spray near
pedestrians:
Document with photo/video without exposing
yourself to the pesticide. Write down location & description of the
truck and/or driver. If it is safe and you are able, ask if victims need
assistance. Report to us immediately by phone 327-8515!
If you are
a victim (do the above plus):
Call the police at 862-8600 and
request they fill out an incident report! This creates a record. Save sprayed clothing in a sealed plastic bag. (Do not wash it.) If you have
symptoms seek medical attention, let them know you were exposed to Anvil
2+2 & ask for a blood test to show
pesticide levels. See our link on
spraying emergencies.
This picture shows spray truck
driver John Primm violating the policy they USED to have to shut off the pesticide when people are present. Despite
a multitude of complaints from 2003-2006, Health officials
denied ANY driver has EVER left the spray running in the presence
of pedestrians. We were inspired to release this photo after 2 of them lied under oath in a 2007 deposition. Some of them started changing how they framed their
statements after we released the photo.
One man from Fisk Park said, "I don't think they'd get way with
spraying the children in Belle Meade like they did in our
neighborhood." READ ABOUT HOW
SPRAY TRUCK DRIVERS LEFT CHILDREN AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS IN A CLOUD OF
PESTICIDE ON JULY 31, 2006 in North Nashville.
Click
here to learn about how the Health Department Violated Tennessee
Open Records Laws on 08-15-08.
The EPA
does not allow manufacturers or distributors to say that any pesticide
is safe, yet health officials in Nashville make these claims constantly.
An EPA representitive even called a staff member in 2005 and told him to
stop making these blanket claims - it made no difference.
Hear their Public Information
Officer Brian Todd talk about how the strength of the pesticide could be
increased by 80,000 times and still be SAFE!" This is
one small example of the irresponsible and unethical behavior that has
been allowed at the Metro Public Health Department.
View it, click
here!
Why are they
being contacted by the EPA in 2008? Click here.
WHAT IS THE RISK OF GETTING WEST NILE VIRUS IN
MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND DOES SPRAYING HELP?
Middle Tennessee has had a total of 15 human cases of West Nile virus
since 2002. 9 were in 2002 and 2003. Many counties around us had no
mosquito control during those years and did not have significantly
higher incidences of disease. There have been over 30 victims of
pesticide spraying including two people who lost lung capacity when they
were sprayed at close range.
NO SPRAY DOES NOT MEAN NO MOSQUITO CONTROL!
Cities that
elected to use safer methods of mosquito control have controlled
mosquitoes and West Nile virus as well as those that have sprayed. (See our
comparative analysis.) So, if there are less toxic and
less costly methods available that are equally as effective, why
would our city spray our neighborhoods with pesticide?
DOES "NO SPRAY" MEAN NEVER, EVER SPRAY?
Absolutely not. There
may be emergencies where spraying is an appropriate response. We want
criteria to establish what constitutes an emergency based on diseased
mosquitoes and human disease cases and scientific protocol to outline
exactly how the spraying will be done. In 2002, Memphis had a small area
in the downtown area that was responsible for a large percentage of the
state's West Nile virus cases. This is a good example of an
emergency.
No Spray Nashville is working to bring RESPONSIBLE MOSQUITO CONTROL
to Nashville! Learn about local
scientists who are speaking out and how failure by our Health
Department to act responsibly when they use a toxic substance could hurt
your health and does hurt our wallets. To date, 26 people have been
injured and sickened from the spraying.
FACT: The two most common mosquitoes in Tennessee that carry
West Nile virus (Culex pipien and Culex quinquefasciatus) have a flight
range of 1/4 to 1/2 mile from their breeding grounds according to John
D. Hopkins of the University of Arkansas. The
most effective mosquito control method is to eliminate standing
water close to your home!
"INGREDIENTS OF THE PESTICIDE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPRAYS ARE
KNOWN ENDOCRINE DISTRUPTORS AND A MUTAGEN," said Vanderbilt
scientist (who teaches an advanced class on Environmental Toxins and has
been a cancer researcher for over 30 years) to the Board of Health
(April 2005) Read his letters to the
board.
OTHER LOCAL SCIENTISTS SHARE THEIR
KNOWLEDGE AND CONCERN. See video footage!
Read about
LAWSUITS connected to the spraying issue.
Does this upset
you?
Click here to take action.
We suggest you at least read the links at the bottom of the page
numbered 1-3 so you will have the critical information you need to
decide what risks you are willing to take.
See 
