ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the community’s response to the aerial pesticide spraying operation. The first half of this chapter is geared towards describing the opposition that built up over the course of the operation, which included advising government officials about community concerns and alternative options, publicly disseminating information that criticized the spraying operation, and organizing protest marches and rallies. Despite those opposition activities, the community was unable to prevent the government from either carrying out the spraying operation it initially proposed or considerably expanding that operation over time. The second half of this chapter begins to illuminate why the opposition was unable to stop the spraying operation. One major reason was a legal loophole that allowed government officials to bypass the need for local consent. Another important factor was the slow spread of opposition among the masses. This chapter provides readers with a better understanding of the different ways local communities can oppose a spraying operation, and how the effectiveness of such opposition can be stymied by the rules governing biosecurity interventions.
