Thursday, October 19, 2000 Older Editions

Town choice: Pests or pesticides?

By Rebecca Piro

Although a crow with the West Nile virus has been found in Andover, spraying for mosquitoes might not be worth it, if other communities surrounding Andover are not willing to take the same chance, says Selectmen Chairman Brian Major.

An article allowing the town to enter into a three-year contract with the Northeast Mosquito Control District is on the warrant for November's Special Town Meeting. Selectmen have not yet decided whether they will support the article.

Northeast Superintendent Walter Montgomery assured the board Monday night that the chemicals used in various mosquito control techniques only affect mosquitoes and other related insects.

But, having read some literature on spraying, Selectman Mary French says she believes the written language implies more than the superintendent says.

"It seems to say there are indeed hazards for other animals, and humans perhaps," says French.

The risks often associated with pesticides are only a reality if trucks go up and down streets spraying near residents, says Montgomery.

"We're not going to drive through town and spray with trucks," he says. "We're going to pinpoint specifically the problem," such as targeting mosquito larvae in their aquatic stages, using "naturally-occurring bacterial spores," he adds.

Regardless of the hazards, Major questions whether spraying is worth considering if surrounding towns do not agree to spray as well.

"None of the communities that touch Andover are participating in the program," he says. "So does it do Andover any good to participate when all the other communities around it are not?"

"The ideal objective would be to have multiple community participation," agrees Health Director Everett Penney. Neighboring communities have not ruled out participation, he adds.

Penney could not be reached for further comment.

Within the Northeast District, only North Andover has expressed interest in the program, says Major. The other three communities in the district, not including Andover, are North Reading, Methuen and Lawrence. None have plans as of yet to participate in the program. The other two communities that border Andover, Wilmington and Tewksbury, belong to the central district. Wilmington has a year-long contract with Central Mass. Mosquito Control Project and plans to renew it for next year, says a representative of the town's board of health. Tewksbury sprayed for mosquitoes through September this year, but Major does not know whether it will continue that practice.

Montgomery says the Andover Board of Health requested the article in light of a crow recently infected with the West Nile Virus in North Andover. Almost two weeks ago, a crow found in Andover at the Indian Ridge Country Club tested positive as well. Mass. Dept. of Public Health recommended the town do nothing at the time, as temperatures in the past couple weeks have been too low to allow mosquito breeding, says Major.

Next summer there could be more reason to worry, says Montgomery.

"We're trying to prevent what could be more of a crisis next spring," he says.

Major is not overly concerned with the infected crow found in town, and says there are several other issues to consider. If Andover commits to the contract in November, it will pay at least $78,000 per year to participate in the program. Northeast could pile on extra costs if the town wants anything outside the contract, such as a safer pesticide, says Major.

The board is also wary of the terms of the contract, which does not run out at the end of the three-year period. Rather, the contract automatically renews itself.

"You're in this until you get a Town Meeting vote that says you want to get out. So you're in this forever," Major says. "It's not just a three-year program. I don't like that concept."

Selectmen agreed to continue the discussion at a special selectmen's meeting next Monday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m.