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City may spray Jamaica Estates, Pomonok for mosquitoes

By Connor Adams Sheets

The city Department of Health has responded to City Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows)’s concerns about spraying for mosquitoes in Jamaica Estates and the Pomonok Houses, saying it is doing required testing before determining whether or not to spray in those areas.

The department originally announced Wednesday that it would be spraying areas adjacent to those neighborhoods, but not those areas, drawing the ire of Gennaro.

Gennaro contacted city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley on Wednesday, and determined that the city, which originally said it found the West Nile virus in mosquitoes in Jamaica Estates and the Pomonok housing complex in Fresh Meadows, actually had found them in Cunningham Park and near Kissena Park.

As such, the city planned instead to spray those areas, not the Pomonok and Jamaica Estates locations, where it has since set traps to determine whether the virus had spread that far. Those results will be ready next week, and will determine whether or not the city sprays in those neighborhoods.

“I’m looking forward to the results of these stations that are going to be produced next week,” Gennaro said Thursday.

On Thursday the city announced that it had postponed the Wednesday spraying to Aug. 8 of the Anvil 10+10 pesticide in an area bounded by 213rd Street, Hollis Court Boulevard and 90th Avenue to the east; 45th Avenue, Utopia Parkway and 53rd Avenue to the north; 146th Place, Laburnum Avenue and 156th Street to the west; and the Long Island Expressway and 188th Street to the south.

Reach reporter Connor Adams Sheets by e-mail at csheets@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.