State lawmaker listens to concerns about 'chemtrails'

• State Sen. Kelli Ward convened a meeting to address concerns about so-called aircraft %22chemtrails.%22
• State officials said there is nothing they can do%3B aircraft emissions are a federal matter.
• Western Arizona residents said they still need answers about health effects from the emissions.
• Ward said more meetings on the topic are possible.

A gathering of western Arizona residents, convinced they're being contaminated by chemicals spewed by overflying aircraft, pressed repeatedly but futilely for a state investigation at a meeting convened by state Sen. Kelli Ward, R-Lake Havasu City.

Although Ward billed Wednesday's meeting in Kingman as an exchange about environmental quality in her legislative district, the audience was focused on so-called "chemtrails" and their effect on plant and human life.

Ward summoned two staffers from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to the meeting to address questions from the audience, which numbered several dozen, according to a recording of the meeting made by Mohave County government.

As the meeting began, Ward tried to temper hopes that the meeting would result in an expose of the source of what many at the meeting said were chemicals purposely sprayed from aircraft, presumably by the U.S. government. Such chemtrails have been widely debunked by scientists and environmental officials, who say people are mistaking aircraft contrails for something sinister.

Ward acknowledged the concerns.

"The people who are concerned about this, I did describe you as relentless," she told the audience. "That is not a bad thing to be; it's not a good thing for me as an elected representative ... to ignore what many people in my district are concerned about."

However, she added there may be little she can do as a state senator.

"I'm not sure there's anything that Arizona can do, but it's good to get the information out," she said.

That was echoed by Sherri Zendri, administrative counsel for the state environmental agency. She said the agency has no jurisdiction over the aircraft emissions that concern Ward's constituents. Those emissions are the domain of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with enforcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation and its Federal Aviation Administration.

Golden Valley resident Al DiCiccio questioned whether ADEQ had tested the area's rainwater, which he suspects picks up the chemicals from overhead flights and could be the source of elevated mineral levels in residents' blood work. He asked for the name of an ADEQ scientist to whom he could send results of blood tests.

Zendri repeated that since the state has no jurisdiction over aircraft emissions, it would be a futile task.

Watch the meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NJvRhO0V_A&feature=youtube_gdata_player