Speaking to a crowd of about 30 people during Berkeley City College's Eco-Fair, Nan Wishner, chair of the Albany Integrated Pest Management Task Force, argued yesterday against the use of a pesticide slated to be sprayed throughout the Bay Area in August.

Wishner, along with five other panelists with backgrounds ranging from research to politics, discussed the political, environmental and human health implications of spraying to eradicate the light brown apple moth.

According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the moth is an invasive species that poses a threat to more than 2,000 plant species.

Some panelists said the department lacks scientific evidence to justify the use of the spray and emphasized the health risks involved by referring to sprayings in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties last fall.

Mickey Huff, a Berkeley City College professor and coordinator for the event said he had attempted to invite representatives in Sacramento to offer a counter perspective, but they were unable to attend. Huff said he would have welcomed a debate.

"If you have a debate, it's easy to show that one side doesn't have the facts," he said.

Some residents said they attended the event out of concern for the city.

"I love living (in Berkeley)," said Berkeley resident Nancy Delaney. "I feel like there's this assault from people who don't live here, who casually decide to spray 7 million people."

Last month the Berkeley City Council joined with other Bay Area cities in a lawsuit against the state to prevent the spraying.

Huff said he wanted the panel to leave a lasting impression on audiences.

"I hope this would cause people to think critically about this crucial matter of public health and the abuse of political power," he said.

Tags: BERKELEY CITY COLLEGE, LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH