Anger is mounting in Kedgwick over aerial forest spraying after a group of women say they were exposed to chemicals two weeks ago.

Now, the small northwestern New Brunswick community is rallying behind the group with a petition calling for a ban on spraying in the area.

Betty St. Pierre, spokeswoman for the women who say they were sprayed, said two men wearing facial masks and chemical suits told the women to go away because the chemicals they were exposed to were dangerous.

St. Pierre said the women soon came down with symptoms ranging from headaches to nausea.

She said the women are afraid to speak publicly because they were told they would lose their jobs planting trees if they attended protests about the spraying program.

But the community has been holding demonstrations and 5,000 people have signed a petition, asking for an immediate halt to herbicide and pesticide spraying in the area.

St. Pierre said the group plans to bring their petition to the government when the legislative assembly opens in November.

Tom Reid, deputy minister of the Department of Natural Resources, mentioned the incident at a news conference on Wednesday when a new high-tech wind tunnel was revealed at the Acadia Research Forest.

"We had an incident in the northern part of the project where stakeholders basically stopped us from spraying because they do not understand the purpose of spraying, they do not understand the importance of spraying," Reid said.

Wind tunnel to improve spraying

The H.J. Irving - J.J.C. Picot Wind Tunnel, one of three such facilities in the world, will be used by researchers to determine exactly where spraying planes should fly in different weather and wind conditions.

The wind tunnel can generate air speeds of approximately 300 kilometres an hour.

This information should help reduce the amount of pesticide used and ensure it's being sprayed where it should be, according to David McLean, the dean of the University of New Brunswick's forestry and environmental management program.

"We know that effective and environmentally responsible pesticide spray programs require scientific support. We're always pushing the envelope of trying to do better with less in the most environmentally effective way," McLean said.

"So this wind tunnel facility at the Acadia Research Forest is unique in that it provides sophisticated evaluation of the performance of sprays and spray equipment before they're put out in the field."

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency invested $3 million in the total refurbishment cost.