NewsLocal News

Actions

Air Force planning an aerial assault on mosquitoes near the Great Salt Lake

Pest-control officials see free use of the C-130 as a way to rein in the insects and save money, but environmentalists warn of health dangers from the spraying.
File photo: Mosquito
Posted
and last updated

SALT LAKE CITY — For the past several years, mosquito-control crews have used small planes to spray pesticides over vast stretches of wetlands west of Salt Lake City International Airport.

The waters flowing off the mountains are impounded year-round in stagnant ponds and braided stream channels, creating ideal breeding habitat for the pesky blood suckers that spread disease and annoy people.

The cost runs into hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, but officials have come across an outfit that will do the job for free: the U.S. Air Force.

The military is happy to perform the spraying as a way to train pilots as they fine-tune their skills for flying close to the ground.

Click here to read the full story from The Salt Lake Tribune.