Advisory
Simply put, there is a verified health concern present not just in Leonia, but throughout the County and the State with regard to mosquito populations containing the West Nile Virus, a condition exacerbated by the high amount of rainfall realized in New Jersey over the past few weeks.
I am not in any way suggesting that we should not be concerned, in general, about the potential harmful effects of insecticide, nor am I minimizing the concerns that have been expressed in the context of the spraying activities that will be occurring this Friday morning.
However, the County is conducting their mosquito mitigation activities in accordance with their statutory authority. Counties have no legal requirement to obtain the approval of municipalities prior to conducting such activities, and in fact, are only required to provide a municipality with 12 hours notice before commencing such mitigation efforts.
While we will continue to work with the County to enhance communication and collaboration efforts in this area, please note that the mosquito mitigation efforts planned for Leonia will go forward, as planned, this Friday, between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM.
Respectfully,
Judah Zeigler
Mayor
Borough of Leonia
[email protected]
Borough of Leonia - Bergen County Mosquito Spraying Activity - Additional Information
Fellow Leonians:
In response to concerns that have been expressed by several residents, this morning the Borough of Leonia sent correspondence to the Bergen County Mosquito Control department, requesting additional information and discussion on the proposed mosquito mitigation activities planned for our community.
As a result, I this afternoon spoke with the head of the Department, who provided additional information and context. The summary of this lengthy conversation is as follows:
- Bergen County conducts tests throughout the months during which mosquito populations are breeding and active, in areas where "pools" containing West Nile Virus have in the past been identified.
- In most cases, municipalities the size of Leonia have one or perhaps two of these West Nile Virus mosquito "pools."
- Unfortunately, Leonia has four mosquito "pool" locations, in different areas of the community, which have tested positive for West Nile Virus. This is a significant level of infestation.
- The County is spraying for mosquitos (both adults and larvae) in order to reduce these mosquito populations as much as possible, in order to minimize the risk of West Nile virus transmission to humans. To accomplish this, they are utilizing two different tactics:
- An insecticide (brand name "Duet") is being used to combat adult mosquitos. It is administered via truck sprayers. Duet is a "pyrethroid-containing" product, which is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as "slightly toxic, with minimal potential risk to people when used properly as part of an integrated mosquito control program."
- A larvicide is also being utilized, in order to reduce mosquito larvae populations in the Borough. This particular larvicide is a "biorational insecticide derived from the bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti)." It is targeted specifically to the metabolism of mosquitos, and has no impact on any other organism.
- Both substances are being sprayed during the period from 4:00 AM - 6:00 AM, early on Friday morning, August 6. This time is specifically chosen because it is a time during which bees and butterflies (as well as other animals, including most humans) aren't generally active, and thus any potential impact to these populations from the insecticide (NOT the larvicide) is minimized.
Simply put, there is a verified health concern present not just in Leonia, but throughout the County and the State with regard to mosquito populations containing the West Nile Virus, a condition exacerbated by the high amount of rainfall realized in New Jersey over the past few weeks.
I am not in any way suggesting that we should not be concerned, in general, about the potential harmful effects of insecticide, nor am I minimizing the concerns that have been expressed in the context of the spraying activities that will be occurring this Friday morning.
However, the County is conducting their mosquito mitigation activities in accordance with their statutory authority. Counties have no legal requirement to obtain the approval of municipalities prior to conducting such activities, and in fact, are only required to provide a municipality with 12 hours notice before commencing such mitigation efforts.
While we will continue to work with the County to enhance communication and collaboration efforts in this area, please note that the mosquito mitigation efforts planned for Leonia will go forward, as planned, this Friday, between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM.
Respectfully,
Judah Zeigler
Mayor
Borough of Leonia
[email protected]
Address/Location
Borough of Leonia
312 Broad Avenue
Leonia, NJ 07605
Contact
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 201-592-5780