Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 03:03:22 -0400
Subject: [NoSpray Coalition] Forum Tuesday,  May 28, 7 pm


Dear NoSprayers and friends,

Our lawyers have filed for a "Notice of Summary Judgment" against NYC under 
the Clean Water Act. Federal Judge Martin will probably decide in early 
autumn whether the City is "summarily" guilty of discharging toxins into 
New York's water bodies, or whether we'll have a full-blown jury trial at 
that time. (He could also decide to throw out OUR case in response to the 
City filing for a similar judgment.)

In the meantime, now is the time to increase pressure on Mayor Bloomberg 
and the Department of Health (or whoever are the officials in your area) to 
NOT SPRAY this year, and to negotiate a real settlement with us.

There had been a round of negotiations with the City a month ago, but I am 
not permitted to publicly discuss what was actually rejected there. 
:-)   Suffice it to say, the No Spray Coalition felt that our concerns 
about the pesticide spray's effects on human health and safety, the 
poisoning of the environment, the bureaucratic snafus, the mass 
experimentation on an entire city, the lack of followup on people sickened 
by the spraying, were not addressed with the kind of seriousness that one 
should expect from Public Health officials and government. We will not 
betray our members or our responsibilities by settling for items that do 
not represent the best interests of the people of this City (he says 
cryptically).

And so, we're back in court. And in the streets.

*** To help put pressure on City officials and to rally our embattled 
forces, Annette Averette -- a member of the No Spray Board -- has set up an 
IMPORTANT event this Tuesday, May 28th, at 7 pm with Community Board #7's 
Health and Human Services Committee. This will be a forum about the 
spraying. It will take place on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at 250 
West 87th St., between Broadway and West End Avenue. Attorney Joel 
Kupferman (who has done amazing work defending the thousands of people 
poisoned as a result of the Environmental Protection Agency's outright lies 
concerning the safety of the air following 9-11), myself, and a number of 
others (YOU, if you come!) will be addressing the community board 
subcommittee on this issue. We've invited the Department of Health and the 
Mayor to participate, but we're not holding our breath.

What makes this very important at this time is that earlier this week, the 
first birds were found (five of'm, in New Jersey) that tested positive for 
West Nile virus. Already, they're itching to spray! And, while no company 
submitted bids to spray the City (scared off by all of our work, including 
the $1 million fine we won against Clarke Environmental, Inc. last year, 
and the blocking of its $267 million contract!), the City is nevertheless 
pursuing plans to spray Scourge (Resmethrin + Piperonyl Butoxide + Inert 
Ingredients) by truck, and do mass aerial larviciding (not as bad as the 
adulticide, but still the absolutely wrong way to go about addressing such 
problems, even if one really existed). So we really need to up the 
pressure. PLEASE COME TO THIS FORUM ON TUESDAY, AND LET YOUR VOICE BE 
HEARD. (The community boards are generally friendly to the message we're 
bringing. Every single community board signed onto resolutions against the 
spraying two years ago.)***

In addition, there are several related events NoSprayers are organizing, 
including:

*** LAUNCH MEETING FOR THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD IN 
NEW YORK CITY ***
Care about the food you eat, your health, the environment? Join us!
WHEN: June 5, Wednesday, 7:00 - 8:30pm
(pre-meeting screening of video on genetic engineering, "Risky Business" 
6:30 - 7pm)
WHERE: Sixth Street Community Center, 638 East 6th Street (btween Avenues B 
& C), Manhattan
(Take 6 train to Astor Place or F train to 2nd Ave, or L train to 14th 
St./First Ave. or M9 bus to 6th St/Ave. B)

SOS Food is ready to launch our city-wide campaign against genetic 
engineering. Many of you know that we came into existence to fight for the 
protection of organic food. Now, genetic engineering threatens to not only 
contaminate organic food, but our whole food supply and environment. 
Genetically engineered crops are being designed to "withstand"  huge and 
repeated doses of herbicides that wipe out all other life in the soil. 
Other crops turn every cell in the plant into a mini pesticide factory and, 
as we know, this does not "wash off". Engineered genes have contaminated 
organic farms across the country -- in fact, that seems to be an actual 
PLAN to gain acceptance of this dangerous technology: "It's already 
everywhere, there's nothing you can do about it, so there's no sense 
banning it."

So come to this event. Find out how to get involved in your own 
neighborhood, from advocating for labeling to getting the stuff out of our 
supermarkets and farms. There are many ways you can help: consumer pressure 
on food companies and stores, petitions and letters to the government, 
street demonstrations or voluntary labeling brigades. It's fun, and we can 
can make a difference...
...Already, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Wild Oats are phasing out GE 
ingredients from their brands because of public pressure. SOS Food is 
targeting Food Emporium/A & P to do the same.

Refreshments will be served. Bring light food to share if you can.
Hope to see you!
Howard Brandstein & Christina Cobb
SOS Food
Sixth Street Community Center
638 East 6th Street
NYC, NY 10009
(212) 529-9720
(212) 677-1863

*************************************************
bioJUSTICE/ bioDIVERSITY 2002: 6th international grassroots gathering on 
genetic engineering June 7-9 in Toronto, Canada. Speakers are top-notch, 
including Dr. Vandana Shiva, David Suzuki, Dr. Nancy Olivieri, Dr. Gregor 
Wolbring and many other scientists and activists. Pick up a form at 
www.biodev.org, or call 1-800-387-7177. And, if anyone is driving there 
from the NY area, some of us can use a ride!

*************************************************
Green Party USA national gathering, June 13-17 in Bar Harbor, Maine, at 
Acadia National Park. Keynote speaker is journalist Alexander Cockburn. No 
Sprayers Pete Dolack,  Mitchel Cohen and several others are taking part in 
a panel discussion on Pesticides and stopping the spraying. It's fairly 
inexpensive (as these things go), and at 3 or 4 to a room, housing in the 
motel there is under $15/night per person. Contact: Nancy Oden, at 
cleanearth-AT-acadia.net, or 1-866-greens-2.


The No Spray Coalition runs on a shoestring,  and so we always need funds.
Please contribute what you can, to:

No Spray Coalition, Inc.
PO Box 334
Peck Slip Station
NYC, NY 10272

(718) 670-7110
www.nospray.org
Listserve: sprayno-AT-yahoogroups.com

Also, check out Joel Kupferman's website on the World Trade Center 
pollution at www.nyenvirolaw.org.
Juan Gonzalez's new book on the EPA coverup is a relentless, stinging 
attack on the agency and on Christie Todd Whitman's role in the pollution 
coverup. They hit the bookstores at the end of June, but you may be able to 
get an advance copy (that's what they sent me) by contacting the publisher 
"The New Press," at (212) 629-4281 and ask for Julie McCarroll.

Also, two pamphlets that I've written are being updated: "Got Pus? Bovine 
Growth Hormone & the New World Order" is available for $4; and "Genetic 
Engineering and the New World Order" is $5. Those prices include mailing 
and handling. Please make out checks (or feel free to send cash ... I know, 
I know what they say ... ) to Mitchel Cohen, 2652 Cropsey Ave. #7H, 
Brooklyn NY, 11214.

Thank you.

Mitchel Cohen, for the
No Spray Coalition