Letters

I generally look to The Press for environmental reporting. A reduction in toxic spraying is always good news [“Reduced Spraying Applauded,” October 31]. Congratulations to the East Hampton Town Trustees and the Accabonac Protection Committee volunteers who have influenced an 80 percent reduction in the spraying of methoprene in Accabonac Harbor.

As I am totally opposed to the spraying of toxics, I will continue to hope that Thomas Iwanejko, director of Vector Control for Suffolk County, will consider actual mosquito danger to Suffolk County residents versus the benefit of no-spray to the wider ecosystem, including crustaceans like lobsters, which are afflicted by it, and many birds and fish for whom mosquitoes represent a valuable dietary addition.

There have been no deaths in Suffolk County from West Nile, and no reported cases of dengue fever or Zika, either. Eastern equine encephalitis is extremely rare, and no cases in humans have ever been reported here.

We should all protect ourselves from mosquitoes, when necessary, with non-toxic repellents. Kevin McAllister, founder of Defend H2O, has been speaking for many years to this issue at various meetings and discussions, and has called for Suffolk County to follow the example of the European Union, which has banned methoprene entirely. The EU has wetland environments ranging from the Camargue in Southern France to Venice and its marshes, to Holland, Denmark and Serbia, etc., all of which seem to benefit from a methoprene-free environment.

Let’s hope the December 5 meeting of the Trustees, APC and the county includes this discussion.

Janet Van Sickle

Montauk