Earthjustice, on behalf of a coalition of moms and community, health, environmental and pesticide reform groups, today issued the following statement in response to the news that the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has cancelled its program to aerially spray several Bay area cities in efforts to eradicate the light brown apple moth.

Managing Attorney Deborah Reames:

“We at Earthjustice are glad that the CDFA has acknowledged that its plan to aerially spray Bay Area cities with pesticides to eradicate the apple moth was a terrible idea from the start — it wasn’t safe, it wouldn’t work, and it wasn’t necessary. We are so proud of all the activists who rallied around this issue, including many who raised their voices for the first time for an environmental cause.  We hope they will transfer their amazing energy and talent to other issues of unsafe chemicals that threaten our kids and families across our cities and our farmlands.”