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Author Topic: Aerial Spray Squadron  (Read 6628 times)

Offline zorgon

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Aerial Spray Squadron
« on: September 06, 2012, 03:37:15 pm »
Aerial Spray Squadron


The C-130 crews, assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command’s 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Ohio, had repositioned in Mississippi in anticipation of the tasking. They are expected to be used to help disperse the oil slick in accordance with a 1996 memo of understanding between the Air Force and Coast Guard, Air Force officials said. Click Image for Full Size

Quote
The Department of Defense tasks the Air Force Reserve's 910th Airlift Wing, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, to maintain an aerial spray capability. The 910th is home to the only full-time, fixed-wing aerial spray unit within the Department of Defense.

The Aerial Spray Squadron at Youngstown ARS conducts various aerial spray missions throughout the year at various military installations and their surrounding communities using four specially-modified C-130H aircraft and Modular Aerial Spray Systems (MASS).

The MASS systems and four of our specially-modified C-130H aircraft are used to spray biting insects such as mosquitoes, biting midges and filth flies.  The systems are also used to control vegetation growth on military bombing ranges and to disperse oil spills.

The Aerial Spray Squadron at Youngstown may be contacted by calling 330-609-1965 or 1412 or 330-609-1616 (fax).


View an aerial spray mission video clip of a mission at a bombing range on Hill Air Force Base, Utah by clicking the photo above.

Quote
Another very important use of the aerial spray mission is to conduct herbicide missions on military installations such as the bombing ranges at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.  The product used for this mission helps to control the growth of vegetation on bombing ranges thus eliminating the need of people having to mow the areas while avoiding unexploded ordnance.

The Official Web SIte of Youngstown-Warren Air Reserve Station

Air Force Instruction 32-1074, Aerial Application of Pesticides - [PDF][Archived]

Aerial Spray Environmental Assessment - Mosquitoes and Biting Flies - [PDF][Archived]

Aerial Spray Hold Harmless Agreement

Aerial Spray Fact Sheet - NOTE: The fact sheet is no longer public access. Link gives this.NOTE:  The page you are being redirected to is CAC enforced and you will  not be able to access this site if you do not have a valid CAC card and  working DOD certificates.)


Hurricane Katrina Response Video


Click the photo to watch a short video of a Hurricane Katrina Aerial Spray mission over the city of New Orleans, La.

Quote
During the months of September and October 2005, the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas suffered from terrible circumstances resulting in the aftermath of Hurricane's Katrina and Rita.

Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from their homes while entire communities were wiped away by the storms or resulting flood conditions that left prime breeding grounds for mosquitoes and filth flies.

The potential for these bugs to spread disease among the population would have been very high had it not been for the aerial spray mission personnel from the 757th Airlift Squadron who deployed to Duke Field, Fla. to set up a base of operations in order to conduct aerial spray missions over Louisiana and Texas.

When it was all said and done, the 757th aircrews had sprayed 2,880,662 acres, or 4,501 square miles--an area equivalent in size to the state of Connecticut. Fourteen thousand gallons of the pesticide Dibrom® were used, costing FEMA $1.6 million. The missions comprised 191.4 hours of total flying time with 46.5 hours of actual "Spray-On" time flying at 150 feet above ground level.

Aerial Spray Squadron




Deepwater Horizon Response
A C-130 aircraft from the 910th Airlift Wing, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, drops an oil-dispersing chemical into the Gulf of Mexico as part of the Deepwater Horizon Response effort May 5, 2010. Reservists from the 910th AW are in Mississippi to assist in cleanup efforts. The wing specializes in aerial spray and is the Department of Defense's only large area fixed-wing aerial spray unit. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz) Click Image for Full Size
« Last Edit: September 06, 2012, 04:40:26 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Aerial Spray Squadron
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2012, 03:37:23 pm »

Josef P. Willems @ http://www.airliners.net


Here is a couple of photos from a story I did with the California Air National Guard 146th Airlift Wing. Troy Harvey Blog

« Last Edit: September 06, 2012, 04:30:06 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Aerial Spray Squadron
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2012, 03:37:35 pm »
Hurriane Katrina Aerial Spraying


U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

Spray 'em out

NEW ORLEANS -- A U.S. Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules from the 910th Airlift Wing at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, sprays Dibrom, a pesticide approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, over the city Sept. 13. The C-130 crew plans to spray the New Orleans area first, then other affected Gulf Coast areas as required. Crews will target are primarily mosquitoes and filth flies, which are capable of transmitting diseases such as Malaria, West Nile virus, and various types of Encephalitis. The C-130 is capable of spraying about 60,000 acres per day. 050913-F-5964B-033

Source: AFRC.AF.MIL

If you wake up early in the morning and happen to spot this aircraft flying over leaving a barely visible trail... do not worry its not "Chemtrails"... it is merely DIBROM, a pesticide and this single aircraft can cover 60,000 acres per day. Might be a good idea to cover the BBQ though.


U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Shawn David McCowan

Tech. Sgt. Jim Graves (left) and Staff Sgt. Tom Kocis, aerial spray maintenance technicians with the 910th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, check recirculation valves during a pre-flight inspection of the Modular Aerial Spray System Sept. 13. 050913-F-3849M-001


U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Bryan Ripple

Aerial Spraying

The Modular Aerial Spray System on Air Force Reserve Command C-130 aircraft can use a setting called ultra-low-volume and specialized spray boom nozzles like these to spread one-half to an ounce of chemical over an acre. The droplets need only be large enough to attach to the hair on a mosquito's leg to be effective. 050719-F-2585R-001


U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. James Bressendorff

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D.

Staff Sgt. Tom Kocis performs a preflight nozzle inspection on a C-130 Hercules spraying system. The 757th Airlift Squadron's Airmen conducted aerial spraying here and the local community July 19 and 20 to reduce and control the mosquito population. The Airmen are from Youngstown Air Reserve Base, Ohio. 050719-F-1004B-002

Now not to worry... as these are safe chemicals:
Dibrom, a pesticide approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency


 8)

 ::)
« Last Edit: September 06, 2012, 04:49:59 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Aerial Spray Squadron
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2012, 03:37:43 pm »
Is aerial spraying safe for people, pets and the environment?


A typical aerial spraying program involves loading a solution of the chemical and mineral oil in tanks. Nozzles create droplets that can get past the crowns of trees to hit the mosquitoes. Planes fly 100 to 300 feet above the ground.

By RANDY LEE LOFTIS
Environmental Writer
rloftis@dallasnews.com
Published: 14 August 2012 05:09 PM


Quote
The tactics of fighting the West Nile virus in Dallas County raise a health question of their own: Is aerial spraying of insecticides to kill disease-carrying mosquitoes safe for people, pets and the environment?

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say no unreasonable risk comes from the kind of chemical that local agencies are already spraying from trucks and could start spraying from aircraft later this week.

Some scientists and health organizations dispute the all-clear for synthetic pyrethroids, a family of insecticides used in government-run spraying programs and thousands of commercial and home-use products.

They say health agencies have underestimated the chemicals’ health and environmental impact, including effects on particularly sensitive people and on nontarget species such as honeybees.

Some residents told Dallas County commissioners on Tuesday that aerial spraying would endanger them or their bees. Others spoke of the agonizing symptoms of West Nile virus.

County Judge Clay Jenkins remained steadfastly in favor of spraying.

Even if the government assurances are correct, any aerial spraying will come with advice to the public: People and pets should stay indoors when neighborhood spraying is scheduled.

Dallas County’s chosen product, Duet, is a pyrethroid insecticide that is a “quick knockdown” control for mosquitoes, gnats, biting and nonbiting midges and black flies, according to the product label from manufacturer Clarke Mosquito Control.

The label says Duet is “toxic to aquatic organisms, including fish and aquatic invertebrates” and kills bees “exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds.”

People in cities that have used aerial spraying against the West Nile virus — including Houston, New York, Sacramento, Calif., and Louisville, Ky. — largely appear to have accepted the practice.

Interviews and news reports turn up little evidence of widespread protests, although accounts of individuals who say they had bad reactions to exposure are not unknown.

Harris County residents are more likely to call to request spraying than complain about it, said Sandy Catcher, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Mosquito Control District, which covers Houston and its nearest suburbs. They have learned the dangers of mosquito-borne diseases, she said.

Dallas County’s plan is to make aerial spraying available to cities that want it. The county recorded its 10th death of 2012 from West Nile virus this week, in addition to 190 human cases of the virus.

Pyrethroids have become a main weapon against the disease.

Pyrethroids are the synthetic version of pyrethrins, insecticides made from chrysanthemums. In part because of their lower toxicity, pyrethrins and pyrethroids have become a popular replacement for their predecessor chemicals, organophosphates.

Aerial spraying of pyrethroids kills adult mosquitoes as they fly. The CDC says communitywide spraying to kill adult mosquitoes can be important for reducing pest populations in a hurry.

But it only works as part of a coordinated campaign that also includes reducing chances for mosquitoes to lay eggs in standing water, the agency says.

A typical aerial-spraying program involves loading a solution of the chemical and mineral oil in tanks. Nozzles create droplets that can get past the crowns of trees to hit the mosquitoes. Planes fly 100 to 300 feet above the ground.

Planners usually target areas where surveillance has turned up virus-carrying mosquitoes or birds infected by mosquito bites. Weather also plays a role in daily decisions; spraying doesn’t take place in calm conditions. Wind speeds need to be at least 1 mph.

Just because pyrethroids are copies of chemicals from a flower doesn’t mean they aren’t potent insecticides. They work by blocking the vital exchange of chemical messages in mosquitoes’ nervous systems.

In a proposed major policy statement last year, the EPA said that even if all uses of pyrethrins and pyrethroids were combined, “exposures do not pose risk concerns for children or adults.”

The risk is low enough, the EPA said, that exposures could increase from new products without creating a problem.

“The assessment shows that even if the highest levels of exposure were to occur, risk estimates for adults and children would be well below the agency’s level of concern,” the EPA said in a summary of its findings.

Companies that make pyrethroid insecticides agreed.

“The fact that these insecticides pass this assessment, in spite of multiple conservative assumptions, is consistent with the excellent safety record” of their use in agriculture, professional pest control and home products, a Bayer CropScience executive wrote to the EPA in February.

FMC Corp., another pesticide maker, used similar language in a letter to the agency.

Numerous health and environmental groups disagreed and told the EPA that it had neglected or underplayed concerns about the chemicals. Those included possible health impacts, such as effects on especially sensitive people, and suggested links to developmental problems.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental organization, said the EPA improperly dismissed risks from so-called inert ingredients in pyrethroid mixtures and from a chemical that is added to strengthen the products’ toxicity. The added chemical is piperonyl butoxide, or PBO.

Duet is a “synergized” pyrethroid that contains PBO.

The group urged caution in wider use of pyrethroids.

“Current exposures are not safe,” it told the EPA, “and additional uses should not [be] allowed.”

Is aerial spraying safe for people, pets and the environment?
« Last Edit: September 06, 2012, 04:58:10 pm by zorgon »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Aerial Spray Squadron
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2012, 04:59:25 pm »
366th Fighter Wing to conduct aerial spraying for cheatgrass control


MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- A specially modified C-130 Hercules aircraft conducts an herbicide aerial spray mission on the Mountain Home AFB’s Saylor Creek Range in 2000. Beginning Friday, Sept. 14 and lasting though September 28, approximately 3,200 acres of Air Force land in Owyhee County will be sprayed with the herbicide Plateau® to reduce the growth of cheatgrass – an invasive, non-native grass that chokes out native vegetation and has contributed to recent catastrophic range fires (Photo courtesy of Ms. Angelia Binder, 366th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Flight).

by Maj. Damien Pickart
366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office


9/11/2007 - MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- -- The 366th Civil Engineer Squadron will conduct an aerial herbicide application in effort to reduce cheatgrass, which provides fuels for wild land fires.

Beginning Friday, September 14 and lasting though September 28, approximately 3,200 acres of Air Force land in Owyhee County will be sprayed with the herbicide Plateau®.

The herbicide is proven to reduce the growth of cheatgrass - an invasive, non-native grass that chokes out native vegetation and has contributed to recent catastrophic range fires. The herbicide works by preventing germination of cheatgrass the spring after application.

"Over the years, the sagebrush and native bunchgrasses on the Saylor Creek Range have been replaced with cheatgrass and other weeds following wild fires, said Angelia Binder, Chief of Conservation with the 366th Civil Engineer Squadron here. "The replacement of desirable vegetation with cheatgrass results in a landscape that has more frequent fires, which prevents sagebrush from re-establishing."

Repeat fires affect aircrew training and degrade the overall health and habitat aesthetics of the landscape. The goal of the spray project is to remove the cheatgrass in the remaining sagebrush stands on the Saylor Creek Range to make it less prone to fire.

Under the Sikes Act, the government is responsible for maintaining sound multiple use natural resource programs which include grazing, wildlife management, erosion control and protection of threatened, endangered, or special status species. This aerial spraying helps do this according to Binder.

A C-130 military aircraft from the 910th Airlift Wing, an Air Force Reserve Unit from Youngstown Air Reserve Base, Ohio, will conduct the spraying within Township 9 South, Range 8 East in Owyhee County. This area is roughly 30 miles southeast of Mountain Home Air Force Base on the base's Saylor Creek Range land. While no one lives in the spray block area, the general public does have access to the area.

The 910th AW will use a specially equipped C-130 to conduct the spray mission. The four-engine turbo-prop aircraft will fly 100-150 feet above the ground during each spray pass and apply approximately four ounces of Plateau®, mixed with 7 gallons of water, for each acre sprayed.

The 910th AW has been conducting aerial spraying missions since World War II and routinely flies missions to control disease vectors (such as mosquitoes or biting flies) or vegetation and pests of vegetation on Department of Defense installations.

Weather conditions pending, spraying will be done between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. each day. The Plateau® herbicide is of very low toxicity to humans and animals. It may cause slight, but temporary irritation of the eyes and skin. People should remain clear of the sprayed area during application and for 12 hours afterward. Persons who must enter sprayed areas after the spray has dried, but within 12 hours of the application, should cover all exposed skin with a long-sleeved shirt, pants and chemical resistant or waterproof gloves.

Any questions regarding this matter should be directed to the wing Public Affairs office at (208) 828-6800.


366th Fighter Wing to conduct aerial spraying for cheatgrass control

Offline zorgon

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Re: Aerial Spray Squadron
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2012, 05:03:07 pm »
Aerial Spraying in Farmers Branch
Thursday, August 16, 2012




Quote
I received this email today and thought I should pass it along. Farmers Branch has not been scheduled for spraying yet,  There is a daily update HERE if and when your city in the Dallas area will be sprayed. I will need to purchase protection my aquaponics systems and some of my garden beds, but now is the time to get prepared.

The pesticide being sprayed is Duet. I read that the product breaks down very quickly when exposed to sunlight.  Therefore, residue on plants and other treated surfaces should be short lived and considered 'gone' when everything is dry.

Aerial Spraying in Farmers Branch

Quote
As you may know by now, Farmers Branch is one of the cities that has opted for aerial spraying to help eliminate mosquitoes because it is a very effective and safe way to kill adult mosquitoes in large, densely populated areas. However, no schedule for spraying has yet been announced.

However, for people concerned about exposure during aerial spraying, health officials suggest the following precautions:

    Minimize exposure. Avoid being outside, close windows and keep pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, etc.) inside while spraying occurs.
    The spray, Duet, is mainly a permethrin-based spray. Permethrin can cause sickness and death in cats. Therefore, if you have a cat, please keep it indoors on the nights spraying will be done.
    Do not enter sprayed areas until the area is dry.
    If skin or clothes are exposed, wash them with soap and water.
    Rinse homegrown fruits and vegetables with water prior to consumption as a general precautionary measure.
    Cover small ornamental fish ponds. Permethrin will kill fish and other aquatic life, and is toxic to water turtles and land turtles, terrapins, tortoises.
    Bring watering dishes and feeding dishes indoors. If not, then replace such dishes if they have been left outdoors.
    Because the chemical breaks down quickly in sunlight and water, no special precautions are suggested for outdoor swimming areas.
    During spraying, residents are encouraged to stay indoors.
    If you are in your vehicle in an area being sprayed, roll up your windows and turn on the air conditioning until the spray is no longer visible.
    Keep windows closed and fans turned off during spraying. Using AC is fine.
    Duet kills bees, butterflies, etc. so if you have plants to attract such insects the plants should be covered.

For updated information, please go to http://www.wfaa.com/news/health/west-nile/links/Areas-to-be-sprayed-for-mosquitoes-164648376.html.

Offline zorgon

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Re: Aerial Spray Squadron
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2012, 05:10:33 pm »
NOT a Contrail



Massachusetts DPH Says Aerial Spraying Effective In Cutting Mosquito Numbers


Flagman directing crop dusters applying pesticides. Credit: JACK FIELDS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Washington Begins Mandated Spray Study



Quote
As directed by the 2007 legislature, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is starting a 2-year, $150,000 voluntary notification study project concerning the application of Danger/Poison pesticides near schools, hospitals, nursing homes and adult/child daycares.  This project will collect data to determine if notification is a significant factor in reducing pesticide exposures when agricultural pesticides are applied by aerial or airblast application methods near these facilities.  The study will be limited to Chelan, Kittitas and Yakima Counties and will run from October 1, 2007 to October 1, 2009.   It will focus on pesticides labeled with the signal words Danger/Poison that are applied either by air or by airblast application equipment.  A voluntary notification register will be maintained by the Department and made available for applicators to check contact information if they plan on making specific types of applications near facilities.

The primary source of information regarding location of facilities and facility contact information will be the WSDA website.  Contact information will also be available by phone for those applicators who do not have access to the Internet.  Being a voluntary notification project, no regulatory action will be taken against any applicator that fails to notify a nearby facility nor against any facility that does not want to be notified.  However, it is hoped that by providing an easy and practical way for applicators to let facilities know in advance that an application is anticipated, communication will be enhanced and the potential for pesticide exposures reduced.  The WSDA will contact both state certified or licensed facilities and applicators in the three counties to inform them of the project.  Applicators will be informed on where they can find information on facilities that want to be notified.  As a requirement for a facility to be listed on the WSDA website for notification, the facility must agree to completing a questionnaire.

WSDA will not be collecting specific information on the pesticides applied or the applicator.  Data will be collected on the number and type of facilities participating, the number of notifications received, any actions taken by a facility as a result of the notification, and any increase or decrease in the number of drift complaints reported to WSDA due to increased awareness of applications.  (Beyond Pesticides Daily News blog, 11/14/07). 

Washington Begins Mandated Spray Study

Chemically Speaking - [PDF][Archived]

 


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