Alec Schaffer
aschaff3@uwyo.edu
Tuesday night the city council met for public hearings and a work session, with the meeting beginning with concerned citizens asking for reform of the city’s mosquito control program.
“Fogging likely effects humans, we need to make it safer for the public,” Christie Palmer, a concerned citizen with a masters in biology, said. “I would rather get West Nile than cancer.”
The City of Laramie’s current mosquito control program consists of two main phases. The first being larval control, which has both ground applications and one aired application treatment.
The second phase consists of adult mosquito aerial control within city limits. This is done through aerial applications of promethium pesticides by billowing clouds of chemical infused gas into air from specially designed city vehicles.
The system has 95 percent effectiveness in combating the mosquito problem.
In light of health concerns presented to the council by citizens, the Parks and Recreation Advisory board meeting staff was directed in September to prepare multiple options for the mosquito control program and potential out comes.
During Tuesday night’s work season the city staff presented three main options for the mosquito control program.
Option one is the continuation of the existing mosquito control program with the 95 percent effectiveness, which was recommended to the council by city staff.
Option two consists of continuation of the existing program minus the use of oregano phosphates. This option is estimated to have 70 to 75 percent effectiveness in controlling the mosquito population.
Option three is to increase larval control and remove oregano phosphates from the program; this is estimated to have 80 to 90 percent effectiveness.
Laramie Mayor Dave Paulekas voiced concern as to weather or not the practice of fogging oregano phosphates posed health danger to children and citizens.
“The EPA says it’s not a level of concern,” David Schott, from Parks and Recreation, said.
The cement concentration of oregano phosphates used is half a once per acre. This is roughly half of a shot glass of pesticides for one-foot football field of land.
