I didn’t have to read beyond the headline “EEE risk called worst in decades” (Page A1, Aug. 8) to know where the article was headed. There would be a threat from mosquitoes, a second aerial bombardment of pesticides trotted out as the solution even though the first assault wasn’t effective, and a dead bird. It was all laid out in “Silent Spring,” which I read for the first time this summer.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the direct application of sumithrin, our pesticide of choice, “to open water or within 100 feet of lakes, streams, rivers, or bays” is prohibited. The area slated for spraying is, of course, dotted with waterways. Rachel Carson would be appalled, but not surprised.
I don’t wish Eastern equine encephalitis upon anyone, but isn’t there a better way?