Viewpoints
Aerial Spraying of Pesticides
by Rob Sanderson Jr.
March 10, 2005
Thursday
The state's new regulations to allow aerial spraying of pesticides
in the State of Alaska i.e.) Long Island for forestry management
can wreck havoc on the Alaskan salmon industry by reducing market
demand for Alaska wild salmon. Due to its harmful nature people
outside the State of Alaska will be reluctant to purchase wild
Alaska salmon, and Alaska's fishing industry would greatly suffer.
If Alaskans permit this one instance of pesticide spraying
either aerial or hand spraying; the precedent will be set allowing
the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) to be comfortable
in issuing more permits. The far reaching effects statewide would
be devastating healthwise, economically, and also it would greatly
harm subsistence users.
Alaska has one of the highest cancer rates in the states, and
the native communities of Alaska have a real high cancer rate.
For the state to allow this spraying of pesticides is a travesty.
The people of Alaska need to contact their lawmakers and demand
legislation that bans aerial spraying except in the case of human
health emergencies. This legislation should be an easy one for
Ketchikan's lawmakers Jim Elkins and Bart Stedman. This would
be the first permit of many expected. Citizens of The State of
Alaska we need to wake up and learn from the mistakes of the
Lower 48 that pesticide spraying has caused.
For the State of Alaska to issue a permit for aerial spraying
for Klukwan Inc. on Long Island would introduce chemicals
which will have far reaching effects on natural resources with
no regard to the impact of the native people and all people in
Alaska. It would be a form of abuse and clearly a lack of respect
for the people of our great state which we call Alaska.
Respectfully,
Rob Sanderson Jr.
Ketchikan, Alaska
Related Information:
Klukwan Permit for Aerial Use of Pesticides
for Forestry Vegetation Management
Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation - Division of Environmental Health
 Click here to see a map of the proposed spray areas. (358 KB). Yellow indicates proposed
spray area.
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