EPC to vote tomorrow on new mosquito plan.

Lack Of Science and Public Accountability in New Mosquito Plan

City Council's Executive Committee will vote on a new mosquito control plan, three weeks after a surprise motion appeared on the council floor calling for a review of the policy. Environmentalists have already raised concerns that the City was rushing towards approval of a new plan with insufficient research and a lack of public consultation. The plan put forward to EPC for tomorrow's vote confirms these fears.

"There is still no commitment from the city to fund biological larviciding outside the city, even though it has been part of the insect control plan since 2005. The City of Winnipeg would spend an extra 929 thousand dollars for increasing chemical fogging, but plans to turn cap-in-hand to the province for new funding to cover the switch to biological larvicide controls." said Josh Brandon, Living Green Coordinator with Resource Conservation Manitoba. "These priorities should be based in science, not political expediency."

The proposed plan calls for a reduction in buffer zones, a speed up of fogging applications and a crack down on alleged abusers of the buffer zone registration process. As well there will be a request for money from the province to expand biological larviciding to outside the city limits.

Again this is walked on by amendment, removing the 96 hour notice requirement. There is almost no time for comment as the plan is revealed only late, the day before council meets.

The effects of buffer zones are "hard to determine" according to the report. There has been no research on what the effect of buffer zones on mosquito populations are. Despite lack of research, the city is rushing to reduce the size of buffer zones. No explanation is given to show why this is desirable.

The city plans to introduce new barriers to make it harder for citizens to register buffer zones, citing abuses of the system. There is no evidence cited of abuse of the system, or discussion with the public how these barriers might affect citizens' ability to express their right to a buffer zone.

Resource Conservation Manitoba again calls for more research and greater opportunity for public input before rushing ahead on a plan to increase fogging, potentially at the expense of human health and the environment.

City of Winnipeg Press Release

Read the City Administration Report

Main points on new mosquito program plan:

1. That the City of Winnipeg Public Service request the Province of Manitobato reduce the size of the buffer zone currently stipulated in the 2010 Pesticide Use Permit.
2. That the City of Winnipeg Public Service request the Province of Manitoba to amend the minimum criterion for fogging of 3 consecutive days (of greater than 25 nuisance mosquitoes) to 2 consecutive days.
3. That the City of Winnipeg Public Service request the Province of Manitoba to reduce the 48-hour initial notice time to start a fogging program to 24 hours.
4. That the Public Service review the Anti-Pesticide Registrant (APR) process and make process changes to minimize potential abuses of the registration system.
5. To instruct the Public Service to increase the service level, through the 2011 budget process, to adulticide (fog) the entire city from the current level of four to five nights per cycle to two to three nights per cycle.
6. To instruct the Public Service to move toward 100% biological control for larviciding by 2012, two years earlier than originally planned.
7. That the City of Winnipeg request the Province of Manitoba to increase the amount of new incremental funding provided to the City of Winnipeg, including provision of full funding (100%) for the current and any expanded nuisance mosquito larviciding program that is conducted in 10 neighbouring Capital Region Municipalities, to assist in transitioning to a 100% biological larviciding program by 2012.