THANK YOU JOE HARROD, COLUMBUS PUBLIC HEALTH
We pick up litter so that our neighborhood looks clean and nice. We pick up litter before stormwater runoff takes this trash downstream and dirties our rivers, wildlife habitat, and ultimately the water we drink. We also pick up litter to reduce the threat of West Nile virus–did you know that a bottle cap tossed can hold water with 100 mosquito culex ((West Nile)?

On March 30, Tina Mohn and I walked Overbrook Drive off High Street with Joe. Briefly, CPH will place mosquito traps in mid June to assess for type and quantity. Most important, I learned that there are things we all can do to prevent the mosquito-borne West Nile virus. If we all took the following measures, we can reduce the City’s need to spray pesticide chemicals. Joe said that the most important step we can take is to CLEAN OUR GUTTERS. Here are the other things we can do:

1. Keep gutters free of debris.
2. Cover open boats.
3. Repair leaking water faucets.
4. Keep swimming pools clean or covered.
5. Eliminate water collecting depressions in tarps (wood piles for example)
6. Clean bird baths once a week.
7. Keep ornamental pots and plant saucers free of standing water.
8. Keep Gambusia fish in ornamental ponds.
9. Store anything that can hold water for more than a few days.
10. Prevent old tires from collecting water.

Jeff Frontz (coordinator of the website for smart spraying for West Nile mosquitoes) writes:

A  decision was handed down a few days ago from the US 6th Circuit Court of Appeals (Ohio is in the 6th Circuit).  The gist is that if you’re going to apply pesticides near a waterway, a Federal NPDES permit is needed.

This article has info about it in layperson’s terms:

http://enviro.blr.com/news.aspx?id=99129

Thank you Columbus Public Health staff and thank you neighbors for your questions to inspire the safest possible Vector Control Plan for Columbus. This recent process reminds me of the value of working together for the things we care about.

Thank you Columbus Public Health staff for your time, for listening, and for your thoughtful response to the concerns citizens raise about Columbus’ Vector Control Program. The November 20th meeting resulted in an agreement to work together to help control West Nile Virus by engaging in proactive measures to lessen the need for spraying. There are things we all can do to reduce the risk of WNV infection. Spraying continues to be a protective measure, however–citizens can significantly reduce the habitat of the West Nile mosquito and also reduce unnecessary exposure to pesticide toxins. Our group and others will join with CPH to spread the word about these things such as keeping gutters clean and removing standing water from objects and places on our property, and from business properties that might harbor the larvae. Stay tuned for information and ongoing encouragement to make your property safer. CPH has immediately taken steps to more clearly inform us when spraying is needed and they have adopted procedures to more exactly identify opt-out properties. CPH will enlist precautions so that people in places such as bike trails and parks are protected from being caught unaware in spraying situations.

Thank you to Clintonville neighbors Jeff Frontz, Robin Chenoweth, and Dianne Blankenbaker for such insightful, probing questions to move observations about Columbus’ Vector Control Program toward productive dialogue. We will continue to see updates to the IPM plan in the coming year.

Read detailed information about NoSpray Columbus by clicking on the link located in the right side column (box titled “Links.”

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Here is the consolidation of the various program

documents for the Vector Control Program into a single volume. I would

like to take the opportunity to clear up any misconception from last

week’s meeting. It’s stated on a new posting on the Adena Brook web

site reporting on the aforementioned meeting that the Columbus Public

Health Standard Operational Procedures for the Vector Control have not

been updated since 1999. The Columbus Public Health Vector Control

Program’s written mosquito contol plan was reviewed in 1999 by the

Central Ohio Sierra Club and found to be consistent with Integrated

Pest Management principles. That document has evolved since then into

several separate operational documents – compiled here into one

manual. The SOP documents are reviewed  at the end of each mosquito

season and the program is updated annually.

Regards,

Keith L. Krinn, RS, MA, DAAS, CPHA

Environmental Health Administrator

Columbus Public Health

Jeff Fronz’ reports on a course of action about mosquito spraying:

When I receive the city’s mosquito control plan, I will

-review it and compare it to what other cities have done.

-solicit input from experts on integrated pest management.

-solicit input from experts on public policy.

-provide any resulting recommendations about the policy to the city.

-work with the city to assist them in evaluating (and ideally implementing) any resulting recommendations.”

 

Jeff Fronz is one of the leaders of the Walhalla Ravine neighborhood group. Friends of the Ravines asked Jeff to submit an article about the current questions raised about mosquito spraying for their upcoming Ravinia issue. Friends of the Ravines will host a public forum on mosquito spraying issues this fall. Together we’re learn more about Columbus’ and other cities’ mosquito control plans.

In the meantime, many of you ask what needs to be done to opt out of having your property sprayed. This is what you do: send a letter and include your printed name, address, phone number, and your signature to

Columbus Public Health
240 Parsons Ave
Columbus, OH 43215-5331

 

 

Keith…

Thanks for providing the maps and spreadsheet.  One thing I noticed– there are several watercourses in the Clintonville neighborhoods covered by the map, but these areas do not seem to be called out for special avoidance.

As I’m sure you’re aware, the label for Biomist 4+4 (which is the permethrin-based product that I believe Dale said your folks would be applying) says that it should only be applied over bodies of water when weather conditions would “facilitate movement of applied material away from the water” (http://www.clarkemosquito.com/PDFs/2Label68742808.pdf).  Indeed, the EPA’s RED for permethrin-based or malathion-based pesticides used as wide area mosquito adulticides
(at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/permethrin_amended_red.pdf and 

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/REDs/malathion_red.pdf, respectively) seem to be the source of this restriction.

As the only weather condition that I can think of that would “facilitate movement of applied material away from the water” in our ravines would be an amazingly laminar and sustained updraft, doesn’t the labeling essentially prohibit the fogging of Bill Moose, Glen Echo, Overbrook [Adena Brook], Rush Run, and Walhalla Ravines?  All of these ravines contain permanent streams that run within inches of the nearby roadways–streams that are at the bottom of ravines and that are enclosed by solid tree canopies, creating microclimates that inhibit dispersal of any aerosols applied in their vicinity.

Thanks,
Jeff Fronz

New test results on mosquito pools were received by Columbus Public Health from the Ohio Department of Health Laboratory this morning which identifies four new pools positive for West Nile Virus. Accordingly, the priority list for mosquito adulticiding (fogging) has been changed to reflect this new information. District 10 (Clintonville) originally scheduled for mosquito adulticiding tomorrow morning, Tuesday, August 26th, has been reprioritized and next week’s mosquito adulticiding locations will be posted on August 29th on the CPH web site at:< /span>

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=115581560833322729686.00044f8d4490543d085a3&ll=39.99343,-82.976303&spn=0.375073,0.598755&z=11

Although the relative risk of contracting West Nile Virus is less than in previous years, Columbus Public Health urges all residents of Columbus and Worthington to avoid mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and long pants, using insect repellants containing DEET, and staying indoors at times of peak mosquito activity – dawn and dusk.

Regards,

Keith L. Krinn, RS, MA, DAAS, CPHA

Environmental Health Administrator

Clintonville neighbor Jeff Fronz organized and reports on an August 20, 2008 meeting about mosquito spraying. Neighbors attending the meeting: CAC Commissioner Clare Balombin, neighbors Dianne Blankenbaker, Robin Chenoweth. 

City representatives attending:

- Dr. Teresa Long (Columbus Health Commissioner)

- Steve Soble (neighborhood liaison),

- Roger Cloern (Assistant Helath Commissioner, Administration),
- Andia Sangale, JD (Environmental Policy Advisor),
- Susan Ashbrook (Environmental Steward and Clintonville resident),
- Keith Krinn (Public Health Administrator, Environmental Health Division),
- Dale Harmon (Section Chief, Enviornmental Health)– Dale is the vector control administrator

“After several fogging incidents (opt-out houses and walkers/bikers/joggers being doused with malathion) several of us have decided to ask for a meeting with Dr. Teresa Long, the Columbus Health Commissioner (the health commissioner is in charge of the Public Health Department, the organization responsible for the fogging).

We’re working through Steve Soble, the city liaison officer for Clintonville, to schedule the meeting–we won’t know a time/place for at least another week (after having been out of town this week, Dr. Long is going to be busy for a few days with the budget cutting).  If you’d like to attend the meeting (or would just like to keep up on the issue), please visit http://nospraycolumbus.com/ and follow the link to be added to the mailing list (you can also just send a message to nospraycolumbus-subscribe@yahoogroups.com).”