Oriental’s approach to killing weeds is getting more attention this spring.
Several residents have complained about spraying in places and ways they thought should be off limits — such as near the water’s edge, before rains. In one instance, a Town crew sprayed a curbside garden that would be abloom with coreopsis and other flowers this time of year. Instead, it is dead. One question being asked is why the Town doesn’t give notice of herbicide sprayings as it does for mosquito spraying. Some of this may be addressed by the Tree Board — now that the Town Board has asked the Tree Board to weigh in on the Town’s herbicide and pesticide policy. Reader Pat Bullis writes about her concern over the type of herbicides – Atrazine and Roundup – that are being used:

">

home

forecast weather station weather station

Letters: Rethinking How Town Kills Weeds
Herbicide Use Raising Concerns
June 5, 2013

O
riental’s approach to killing weeds is getting more attention this spring.

Several residents have complained about spraying in places and ways they thought should be off limits — such as near the water’s edge, before rains. In one instance, a Town crew sprayed a curbside garden that would be abloom with coreopsis and other flowers this time of year. Instead, it is dead.

One question being asked is why the Town doesn’t give notice of herbicide sprayings as it does for mosquito spraying. Some of this may be addressed by the Tree Board — now that the Town Board has asked the Tree Board to weigh in on the Town’s herbicide and pesticide policy.

Reader Pat Bullis writes about her concern over the type of herbicides – Atrazine and Roundup – that are being used:

To The Editor:

I have recently become quite concerned about weed-control herbicides the Town of Oriental is spraying on curbs, parks and other green spaces.

Over a week ago, I respectfully shared these concerns with Mr. Maxbauer and, in order to further investigate these chemicals and their potential health risks, I asked him to provide me the specific names of the herbicides used and where spraying has occurred. To date I have had no response from him.

My understanding from secondary sources is that Mr. Maxbauer is using Atrazine and Roundup. Investigation into these chemicals has made me very uncomfortable about their use in our community. For example, the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry and the National Resources Defense Council both discuss the clear link between Atrazine and harm to wildlife and potentially to humans as it continues to contaminate watersheds and drinking water.

Regarding Roundup, a recent article in the Huffington Post cited a study in the scientific journal Entropy indicating that residues of “glyphosate,” the chief ingredient in Roundup “has a negative impact on the body that’s insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body.”

Personally, I don’t understand the Town’s use of these chemicals. While we have little control over many toxins in our environment, we do have a choice about purposefully spraying harmful herbicides in areas where we, our children, grandchildren, and pets live and recreate.

I’m asking Mr. Maxbauer and our town board to seriously investigate the dangers of these herbicides before using them in the future and/or setting policy about their use. Let’s strive to make Oriental a smart, safe and healthy community.

Pat Bullis
Oriental
6/4/13


Share this page:

back to top

TownDock.net welcomes correspondence on this subject and others. Please limit your letter to 500 words.
Send your letter to letters@towndock.net.
No anonymous letters will be accepted. Well-made, civilly-spoken points welcomed. Please include the city & state where you live.
If you cc TownDock letters you send to government officials, they may be included in the Letters column. (Such correspondence to government – town, county, state federal – is part of the public record.)