A family here is seeking injunctive relief and unspecified damages against Juab County and a group of its employees, according to a civil suit filed Tuesday in 4th District Court.

Blaine and Norma Malquist, along with their daughter Eileen, are listed as the plaintiffs in the suit, which alleges the county's practice of mosquito spraying qualifies as a nuisance, trespassing and negligence.

The suit lists Juab County as a defendant, along with three country residents that operate the pesticide "fogging" trucks.

In the suit, the Malquists claim that the county's practice of spraying has a minimal effect on mosquitoes in the area and poses a serious health risk to residents. The county, they say, uses a pesticide known as Kontrol 4-4 that contains a chemical agent that has been shown through studies to cause negative health consequences in children, pregnant women and people with chemical sensitivities.

read more