Despite the fact that during a 2003 public forum the State Entomologist suggested that the Metro Public Health Department address mosquito populations through preventative measures by hiring seasonal staff to reduce breeding sites,  the Health Department chose to spray the pesticide Anvil 2+2 to "control mosquitoes" from 2003-2008 in Nashville neighborhoods.  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), reducing breeding sites is the most effective and economical form of mosquito control.

Public health officials are often tempted to overuse pesticides because of political and public pressure. Some may also overuse pesticides due to their lack of formal education in entomology. Prior to mass spraying from 2003-2008, historically, the Metro Public Health Department has sprayed  pesticides in citizens' yards on demand for over 30 years. Once they began mass spraying, they ignored their own protocol (when they had it), sprayed pedestrians on the street in plain view of drivers, and kept using pestides despite the fact that their own testing results showed it was not working.

The CDC states that spraying is the least effective form of mosquito control. Spraying may temporarily knock down adult mosquito populations BUT, according to research, if breeding sites are not reduced the problem will return to prespray levels or surpass them within about 5-10 days. This is why hiring season workers to reduce mosquito breeding sites is not only good science but common sense prevention.

Pesticides are poisons and have inherent risks. The risks of pesticide use must be carefully weighed against the benefits. A wide variety of local experts  (including a world-renown mosquito researcher) spoke out about  the extremely low incidence of West Nile virus in Middle Tennessee and shared their opinion that the disease rate did not support the risks of using of Anvil 2+2. They also provided peer reviewed studies to caution the health department about the risks involved in spraying but the department's toxicologist quoted ancient research and industry supported studies to argue their stance.

In December 2008, No Spray Nashville obtained the Health Department's 2008 mosquito trapping and inspecrecords. They found that the department failed to respond with source control or larvicide in Antioch in 2008 after  "West Nile mosquitoes" had been found multiple times in one neighborhood. They also exposed the fact that  the spraying the department eventually did failed to provide results (even after they did it 5 times). After presenting this information to the city council's health and hospital committee, 2 council people volunteered to meet with the Director of Health and representatives of the No Spray Coalition to talk about how to prevent this from happening again.

The Director of the Health Department agreed that if they were concerned about disease that staff should be working in areas where diseased mosquitoes were found to reduce standing water. Since there were no human cases while "West Nile mosquitoes" were being found over and over again in the spray zone that year,  the Director of the Health Department stated that he not as concerned about West Nile virus transmission to humans these days. (The human transmission rate in Nashville in 2008 was not very different from the rate in 2003).

It took 5 1/2 years of petitioning, respected local scientists and health care providers speaking out, pedestrians getting sprayed and injured, 4 legal appeals, 2 civil lawsuits, passing a local ordinance, a new director, and exposure of the departments constant protocol failures and lack of results with spraying for someone at the health department to admit they could do better.
In 2009, the threshold for spraying was increased (although the department refused repeated request to note the changes in their policy). There was no spraying in 2009. A report will be released near the end of the year about whether or not the department improved their protocol when they found diseased mosquitoes.


There is no credible scientific evidence that spraying affects the human incidence of West Nile virus. It may even just make the problem worse by creating resistant mosquitoes. In a number of cases, the Metro Public Health Department 's records showed increases in mosquitoes after they sprayed. In Antioch in 2008 mosquito populations went up 400% at one site after spraying. The CDC did one study in Colorado that suggested that spraying did NOT reduce the incidence of West Nile virus but personal protection did.

THE CHEMICALS IN ANVIL 2+2
Scientists and physicians have expressed concern about current peer-reviewed toxicological studies showing chemicals contained Anvil 2+2 are riskier than we thought years ago. Anvil 2+2 contains a known endocrine distruptor (sumithrin) and a known mutagen or cancer-causing agent (piperonyl butoxide). Scientists say that there is no safe dose of a mutagen. These chemicals have been linked to breast cancer, thyroid problems, and a whole host of other illnesses.

For all these reasons, progressive cites (like Charlotte NC, Washington DC, Fort Worth TX and 8 counties surrounding Atlanta) are emphasizing effective non-toxic prevention. Pesticides should be used as a last resort for emergencies. When they are used, mosquito breeding grounds must be found, reduced, or treated or it is a waste of effort and money.


Nashvillle's Metro Public Health Department staff has demonstrated very little respect for pesticides!

Staff at the Metro Public Health Department have demonstrated poor judgement when handling the pesticide Anvil 2+2. They have a long history of violating protocols and policies. They are also known for leaving the spray on as they passed pedestrians. They seriously injured at least five Nashville citizens. Four of these victims were sprayed at close range. They have sickened over 30 citizens that we know of between 2003 and 2006. When some of these victims called the Health Department to complain about symptoms, the MPHD's toxicologist claimed that the pesticide "was safe and couldn't cause the problems." The symptoms they were complaining about were listed right on the Material Safety Data sheet for Anvil 2+2.

BURNT believes that Public Health employees who have no respect for pesticides, policies, or medical ethics have no business mass spraying pesticides in our neighborhoods. The MPHD's failure to correct these problems led the city council to pass an ordinance in an effort to try prevent some of the problems that occurred with spraying. See www.nospraynashville.org/ordinance.html for more information.

BEWARE! THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL SPRAY PEDESTRIANS

The Metro Public Health Department passed a new policy in April 2008 that allows their drivers to leave the spray on in the presence of pedestrians. This photo shows a driver who left the spray running as he passed at least 96 citizens an area north of Fisk University on July 31, 2006 when the policy was supposed to be to shut off the spray. A lead and following truck from the MPHD accompanied this driver but did nothing to stop him as he left the spray running while he passed young children in their yards,  kids on bicycles on the street and a man in a wheel chair on the sidewalk.

Any one who was sprayed or has seen someone who was sprayed should call BURNT at 327-8515. Leave your name and number and a volunteer will call you back. See www.nospraynashville.org for instructions on what to do if you are sprayed.

DO NOT ALLOW THE CARELESS USE of Anvil 2+2®
(The pesticide used by our Health Department to "control" mosquitoes.)

Pesticides are poisons and have some inherent risk.

It is a violation of Federal Law for a manufacturer or distributor to say that a pesticide is safe. Why does our Health Department feel it is acceptable to make false statements of safety?

The long and short-term risks of spraying pesticides should be carefully weighed against the benefits before spraying.

New research shows Anvil 2+2® contains a known mutagen (a cancer-causing agent). There is no safe dose of a mutagen.

The least toxic solution should always be used AND many cities in the U.S. have successfully controlled mosquitoes and the diseases they carry without resorting to pesticides. Why can't our city do this?