A report released today by a coalition of Central Coast environmental groups listing more than 600 health complaints about moth pheromone spraying will be presented to state legislators next week, the groups' executives said.

The complaints were received during the past few months by government agencies and activist groups in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties after the state's agriculture department began an aerial spraying campaign over the two counties to eradicate the light brown apple moth last fall.

The report — presented by the groups Helping Our Peninsula's Environment (HOPE), Concerned Citizens Against Spraying, Pesticide Watch and several others — is scheduled to be presented today at a noon press conference at Santa Cruz City Hall.

Santa Cruz City Council members Tony Madrigal and Ed Porter are expected to attend.

Among the symptoms reported by residents were mild to severe respiratory ailments, headaches, swollen glands and rashes.

"Since the spraying began, I have endured greatly intensified allergy symptoms, especially asthma," wrote one area resident named Jeffrey. The report did not include the last names of those reporting symptoms.

"Now I have continuous breathing problems that trigger frequent coughing spells," Jeffrey wrote.

The report's authors acknowledge that an unknown number of the complaints may be duplicates because several agencies collected the information. But the report also suggests that many residents

with symptoms have not reported them.

David Dilworth, executive director of HOPE, said the groups plan to present the nearly 200-page report to legislators Tuesday.

That's two days before the California Department of Food and Agriculture is due to deliver its own report on the spraying program to lawmakers.

Department spokesman Steve Lyle said the report will cover the light brown apple moth eradication program in general but will not address the health complaints.

While state officials maintain that the spray ingredients are safe for humans when applied aerially, Lyle said the department is nonetheless collecting reports of symptoms via its telephone hot line and e-mail.

Lyle said 44 "complete reports" have been turned in by Monterey County residents, as well as numerous less-detailed e-mailed or telephoned descriptions of symptoms. Seven more complete reports have come in from Santa Cruz County and one from Santa Clara County, where Lyle noted that no spraying has been conducted.

Lyle said the department has urged anyone with suspected symptoms to seek a doctor's care and to file a complete report, which provides more information than a generic e-mail or phone message.

Although the department began to collect the data after health complaints surfaced in Monterey County, Dilworth questioned why the department, which oversees and has lobbied heavily for the spraying program, is gathering health information in the first place.

Instead, he said, it should be collected by a public health agency, "not an agency that has a clear conflict of loyalty."

Lyle agreed that the Department of Food and Agriculture is not the proper agency to interpret such data. That's why, he said, the department is only collecting and archiving the information in case a public health agency chooses to analyze it.

He said those who believe they may have been affected by the spraying should report adverse physical reactions by calling 800-491-1899.

Julia Reynolds can be reached at 648-1187 or jreynolds@montereyherald.com.