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It didn’t take Mayor Mike Rawlings long to make up his mind. Just after meeting with state health officials and reading all those helpful Facebook comments yesterday, Rawlings declared he’s all in for aerial mosquito spraying.
“Since public safety is my No. 1 job, I think it’s paramount to step up to the plate and say we need to do this,” Rawlings told the Morning News late last night. “Obviously, no one wants anything sprayed over their house, but the EPA and the city of New York and Massachusetts and Sacramento have all tested this out and there have been no signs of any personal health issues because of this, so I think it’s an appropriate thing to do.”
And precisely what will rain down upon us from the sky, and when will it start? Five planes are expected to arrive on Thursday, and Rawlings told the DMN he wants a plan on his desk the day before. The chemical that will be used, per WFAA, is Duet, an adulticide in wide use for mosquito control. Dr. David Lakey of the Texas Department of State Health Services, told the station Duet is perfectly safe. Per its MSDS, it poses a “slight” health risk.
Just to be on the safe side, though, you should keep your windows closed, bring all pets inside, and rinse off any homegrown vegetables.
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