Comment submitted by Center for Food Safety
AnonymousSupportAdvocacy
Summary: The Center for Food Safety supports the proposed trial of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes by Google LLC but requests that the EPA require more specific information regarding release locations and environmental effects. They also recommend that the EPA mandate local evaluation teams and public advisory committees to assess public acceptance and ecological impact.
The Center for Food Safety is pleased to comment on the wolbachia infected Culex mosquitoes being developed by Google LLC. We believe that the company has the background to proceed with the basic trial, i.e. to release 16 million mosquites each in both Florida and California. We are disturbed that neither the company nor the EPA describe the location of the releases. This is important for citizens to begin assessing the ecological effects of the releases. We also recommend that the EPA require local evaluation teams similar to those required by Austrailia New Zealan and Malaysia when they released wolbacchia infected mosquitoes.