I believe Grand County’s poisonous herbicide and pesticide
spraying of “noxious weeds” in Grand County is and has always been in violation
of federal law.
Why do I say this? Because in both herbicide labels (Telar
XP and Milestone), it clearly says: “It is a violation of federal law to use
this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling,” and “only protected
handlers may be in the area during application,” and “do not enter or allow
entry into treated areas until sprays have dried,” and more.
I don’t think Grand County’s weed sprayers in their unmarked
trucks have never followed those described warnings on the herbicide labels. Instead,
they drive trucks with no words on them warning about their spraying roadside
weeds near our wells and streams. They don’t put signs next to sprayed weeds
saying when the weeds were sprayed, and they don’t put signs up saying, “Do not
enter this area until sprays have dried! We sprayed these weeds at such and
such a time.”
Since it’s unlikely that weed sprayers could or would place
such warning signs, we suggest that Grand County should sell their poison spray
trucks and use the following safe, non-toxic weed control methods.
• Heavy duty mowers
• Let non-violent jail inmates and folks owing community
service pull noxious weeds
• Promote pulling noxious weeds by volunteers, homeowners
and renters on both their land and on adjacent Grand County road rights of ways.
These non-toxic methods will save the health of people,
pets, wildlife, etc. Many folks on foot, on bicycles and in cars have agreed
with me while I was pulling weeds on Grand County Road 50, which sadly, has
been sprayed on Aug. 26.
In the Sky-Hi News, Grand County weed spray foreman Amy Sidener was quoted as saying she “would love it if people put us out of work.” We all can help her out by everyone pulling “noxious” weeds on roadsides. For more information, please call me at 970-531-5000.
— Carol Sidofsky, Fraser