Federal Hearings Open on Malathion’s Safety
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Supporters and opponents of malathion spraying testified Tuesday in the first federal hearing in Southern California on the environmental safety of the Mediterranean fruit fly eradication program.
Federal agriculture officials said the hearing, held in Los Angeles, is the first step in a comprehensive two-year environmental review of current eradication methods and alternative strategies.
Michael T. Werner, a deputy director of the U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture, said the review will include an evaluation of health effects of malathion spraying, effectiveness of the aerial spraying and alternative methods.
Meanwhile, Pasadena Municipal Judge Judson Morris Jr. ruled unconstitutional a Pasadena ordinance that had outlawed the state’s malathion helicopters by banning low-altitude formation flying.
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