2005-70 Ordinance - Laserfiche WebLink

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U. a C�c,•l CITY OF NORTH OLMSTED ORDINANCE NO. 2005 — 70 BY: Council Member Dailey AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING PESTICIDE SPRAYING FOR THE WEST NILE VIRUS (WNi9 IN THE CITY OF NORTH OLMS TED AT THIS TIME AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY WHEREAS, the City of North Olmsted is currently scheduled to have the Cuyahoga County Board of Health implement spraying of pesticides from ground level within the City in an effort to help control the spread of the West Nile virus (WNV); and WHEREAS, the West Nile virus is a mosquito -borne virus; and WHEREAS, ground based spraying has not been shown to be effective in controlling the mosquito populations especially in an urban environment; and WHEREAS, neither the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) nor the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have provided scientific studies showing that spraying pesticides on adult mosquitoes reduces the incidence of West Nile virus (WNV) in people; and WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control says that spraying pesticides intended to kill adult mosquitoes is usually the least efficient mosquito control measure; and WHEREAS, it has been stated by experts that broadcast spraying may hit less than 0.1% of the mosquito population; and WHEREAS, the spraying of pesticides possesses a potential risk to personal health and the environment; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that no pesticide can be considered "safe" and Federal law specifically prohibits manufacturers of pesticides from labeling their products as "safe ... or non - toxic" even when used as directed; and WHEREAS, there is substantial belief that the more effective way of controlling the mosquito population is by larvicide treatment and through education of the City's residents regarding methods and procedures to minimize exposure to the virus; and WHEREAS, this Council finds that the risk/benefit analysis conducted by experts clearly indicates that the dangers of WNV are minimal and affect a very small segment of the population and the long -term health and environmental risks of spraying with synthetic pesticides poses a much greater risk; and WHEREAS, this Council, in an effort to protect its residents from the potential health risks associated with exposure to pesticides especially where such exposure appears to have very little, if any, benefit to the residents, and in an effort to implement the most effective measures to help control the spread of WNV, desires to prohibit spraying of pesticides within the City by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health relative to WNV and requires the implementation of any and all other measures. - r�