While some towns like Northfield and Leyden are still considering their options, both Warwick and Bernardston have chosen not to opt out of aerial pesticide spraying that would be required by recent State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board legislation.
The state’s new program for mosquito control assumes all towns and cities have opted into aerial spraying, and all municipalities must choose to opt out by submitting a form that states how they will manage mosquito monitoring and eradication of outbreaks of disease-carrying mosquitoes in their jurisdiction. The state will be required to give 48 hours notice before spraying, and has to protect public health and the environment.
The Northfield Selectboard held a joint meeting with the Board of Health Thursday to discuss whether to opt out of mandatory aerial spraying, which would use the adulticide Anvil 10-10. According to Northfield Town Administrator Andrea Llamas, members of the Board of Health voted Thursday to encourage the Selectboard to opt out.
The deadline to opt out has been extended from May 15 to May 28. With this extension, the Selectboard has decided not to take action yet, and will vote on whether to opt out during its meeting on May 18.
“Meanwhile, they’re going to try to find examples of the education plan and things that are required” to present an alternative, Llamas said.
The Selectboard can opt out of aerial spraying if it submits an application by May 28. Among the requirements to be able to opt out is that the town must have an alternative plan to aerial spraying. Other requirements include collecting citizen input, and Llamas said the town had received many comments from residents, all of which requested Northfield opt out of the spraying.
“Because of the time now, they’re going to look at alternatives before taking a vote, but we do anticipate a vote on the 18th,” she said. “We need to figure out what we’re going to do instead, and find an alternative we’re comfortable with.”
One possible alternative may involve joining the Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District, but a Town Meeting vote would be required. Local members include Greenfield, Deerfield, Bernardston, Heath, Rowe and Shutesbury.
Selectboard member Barbara “Bee” Jacque said Northfield and other small towns were concerned about having learned about the requirements while trying to plan for town elections and Annual Town Meetings. Additionally, she noted that the budget cycle for most towns had concluded.
“If towns need to prepare for any funding of said plans or actions, that ship has already sailed,” Jacque said.
Jacque said she, fellow Selectboard member Mary Bowen and Town Administrator Andrea Llamas formed as members of a subcommittee to continue researching options for the town ahead of the full Selectboard meeting May 18.
Bernardston
Bernardston Town Coordinator Louis Bordeaux said he had spoken with Carolyn Shores Ness, a Selectboard member in Deerfield who helped create the Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District in late 2016. Bordeaux said she advised him that Deerfield will not opt out, citing in part that it is not expected to be “a very problematic year” for mosquitoes and thus it is anticipated there will be less of a need to spray this season. According to the last five years’ worth of data on mass.gov, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus can cause serious illness, but the risk is “remote” to “low” in Franklin County.
Another reason, Bordeaux said, is that if Bernardston were to opt out and the Department of Public Health determined there was an emergency need to spray pesticides, such as an outbreak of EEE, Bernardston would then be responsible for covering the cost of spraying.
“So we decided not to opt out of the mandatory spraying,” Bordeaux said. “It leaves the town in a better position. If the state were to decide spraying is warranted by a DPH emergency, we wouldn’t be on the hook.”
Like Bernardston, Warwick Town Coordinator David Young said Warwick will not be opting out of the state’s plan. Selectboard members discussed the issue during a recent meeting, and Young said there was a “clear consensus” that they would like to opt out, but the cost of doing so would have seen the town be responsible for creating an alternative plan and implementing it at its own expense.
Leyden Municipal Assistant Michelle Giarusso said the town Selectboard will be discussing whether to opt out of the mosquito control plan during its upcoming meeting on Monday, May 10.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.