Monterey County Superior Court rules on aerial spraying.

On Wednesday, a Monterey County Superior Court judge ruled that the California Department of Food and Agriculture must halt its aerial spraying of a synthetic pheromone product on the Monterey Peninsula. Planes were scheduled to begin the spraying just a few hours later that night.

The lawsuit and injunction request were filed by Helping Our Peninsula's Environment (HOPE), which argued that the spraying was erroneously authorized in response to a false emergency and injures the area's residents and environment. "This is a good day for the rule of law," says HOPE Executive Director David Dilworth.

The state last sprayed pheromones over the Peninsula in September in an attempt to eradicate the invasive light brown apple moth, which officials say has the potential to damage hundreds of the state's agricultural crops.