We respectfully submit this letter to ask that the Joint Committee on Public Health vote down Bill H.4650 for the following reasons. The State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board champions the broadcast spraying of insecticides as its primary method of mosquito control, though it has proven to be the least effective in actually containing a threat of arbovirus. At the same time, exposure to these insecticides poses a real risk to human health and the environment. Consequently, we strongly encourage the committee to craft a safer and more collaborative mosquito control policy which will better protect the health of all citizens of the Commonwealth.

To review, there was a total of just 12 confirmed human cases of EEE and 5 confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in Massachusetts last year. While acknowledging the health consequence of contracting EEE or West Nile Virus, little consideration is given to the potential health hazard of exposure to the insecticides used for mosquito control. The extent of testing for safety is known to be incomplete, especially for long-latency diseases such as cancer. As well, environmental impacts are of concern as the insecticides have proven to be toxic to pollinators including bees as well as a variety of natural predators of mosquitoes, which counters the intended effect.

With its reliance on the use of insecticides, the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board has given inadequate priority to measures that are known to be more effective in actually containing the threat of arbovirus. These measures include source reduction whereby mosquito breeding sites are identified and eliminated, targeted larviciding and public outreach to encourage personal protection in order to avoid mosquito bites. Maximizing the impact of these proactive measures would suppress the population of mosquitoes capable of transmitting disease and calm the impulse to spray.

We strongly encourage the committee to take this moment in time to craft a more cautious and considered mosquito control policy for the Commonwealth, which will best protect its citizens from arbovirus this summer and into the future as a changing climate will challenge our best efforts. If needed, simply encourage Governor Baker to declare a temporary public health emergency, as he did last year, but please do not bake this outdated blunt strategy of mosquito control into law. Thank you.