With residents voicing concerns regarding Tiny’s handling of this summer’s gypsy moth infestation, council requested that an expert be brought in to provide some insight as to what aerial spraying is, and what the township can do going forward.
Paul Zimmer, president and operations manager of Zimmer Air Services Inc., declared to council that he was neither there to sell his spray program, to defend BTK spraying nor to debate science.
“I’m primarily here because I was requested by Coun. Mintoff to present some facts relating to what a municipality would do as far as a gypsy moth control program,” Zimmer stated in regards to the previous regular meeting of council.
During the half-hour presentation, Zimmer described how effective the aerial spray application of proven pesticides, such as Foray 48B, or BTK, were at controlling LDD (also known as European gypsy moths) during severe periods of infestation such as the widespread damage and defoliation of trees that occured seemingly everywhere this year.
“There’s no debate on the science or safety of this product,” Zimmer exclaimed. “It is one of the most safely, widely-accepted and studied pesticides on the planet, and continues to be supported by the PRMA (Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency), the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), local health authorities, and in most countries where rigorous safety regulations exist.
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