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Department of Ecology News Release - March 7, 2007
07-049
OLYMPIA - As this year's mosquito season nears, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) today issued a revised aquatic mosquito control general permit.
Ecology and the Washington Department of Health developed the permit in close coordination. The revised permit protects human health and the environment, has an easier reporting system for permit holders, and simplifies the on-line application.
"The permit is an important tool for controlling mosquito populations in state waters," said Dave Peeler, manager of Ecology's water quality program. "Mosquitoes may transmit diseases that can make people sick, including West Nile virus."
West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause illness in humans and some animals, according to the Department of Health. Most people infected with West Nile virus don't have symptoms, but in some people, particularly those over age 50, the virus can cause serious illness.
Last year in Washington, three people, six horses and 13 dead birds were found to be infected with the mosquito-borne disease, according to the Department of Health. In 2006, neighboring Idaho reported more than 980 human cases and 21 deaths from the virus. West Nile has steadily spread across the country since it was first detected in the New York City area in 1999.
The Department of Health encourages cities, counties, mosquito-control districts and commercial pest-control businesses to obtain permit coverage in the event they need to conduct aquatic mosquito control.
The application of larvicides is regulated by Ecology and the state Department of Agriculture (WSDA). WSDA oversees label compliance, product registration and issues professional licenses to those who apply pesticides, while Ecology issues permits for users of aquatic pesticides to assure water quality is protected.
Most entities qualified to conduct aquatic mosquito control in Washington apply directly to the Department of Health for free-of-charge permit coverage. A small number of entities that control mosquitoes obtain the permit directly from Ecology.
The insecticides, or larvicides, allowed under this federal National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit kill the mosquito larvae before they become biting adults. The primary larvicides used in the state are biological in origin or are insect growth regulators and are extremely effective in targeting mosquito larvae.
Information about the Aquatic Mosquito Control General Permit can be found on
Ecology’s Web site
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pesticides/final_pesticide_permits/mosquito/mosquito_index.html
and at the Department of Health’s Department of Health's West Nile virus Web
site
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/Zoo/WNV/WNV.html .
The Department of Health has a toll-free information line on West Nile virus,
1-866-78VIRUS.
The Department of Agriculture also has a West Nile virus Website,
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/Diseases/WestNileVirus/default.htm .
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Contacts: Sandy Howard, Washington Department of Ecology, 360-407-6408
Donn Moyer, Washington Department of Health, 360-236-4076
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
