Red Rock
News
Pull out “bad weeds” at the ballot box
I was most
disappointed to read that Sedona City Council voted in favor of a weed-control
policy that effectively poisons portions of our local citizenry. The lack of compassion shown toward
chemically sensitive people by members of the City Council is, to me, a
remarkable disregard for public safety.
Although,
thankfully, I do not personally suffer from debilitating chemically
sensitivities, I am aware that many of the people who have sensitivities rose
above their personal challenges to work within the system to make known to city
staff the dangers of the policy of spraying poison.
The
council’s decision to vote to continue spraying poison is absurd given that
these chemicals eventually leach their way into our drinking water.
Come next
election, I will protect the environment and the less fortunate in our
community with a vote to pull out the “bad weeds” at the ballot box.
Jerry Gilden
Sedona
Red Rock
News
Sedona shouldn’t use Round-Up on weeds
What
motivated the Sedona City Council to vote 5-2 in favor of spraying herbicides
Round-Up and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid along Hwy.
89A again?
What
motivated the next decision to come up with a long-term plan that might
preclude spraying herbicides that could be harmful to the environment?
When the
woman who owns Verde Valley Weed Control was asked, by Councilman Rob Adams, if
she could say that she has no concerns for the health of people or the
environment as a result of spraying “regular” herbicides, she replied that she
has trust in “the system” and that if the system says these chemicals are safe,
then she has no doubt that they are as safe as coloring her hair, putting on
lipstick or eating foods grown with pesticides.
I have to
look at the motives behind people’s statements.
The woman who makes her living spraying chemicals has to believe that
they are safe. But are they?
I have to
hope that the Sedona City Council is sincere in its statements to the effect
that it is concerned to learn that all the public parks and schools in Sedona
spray regular herbicides on the lawns that children play upon.
I trust
that council members will actually read the many articles that have been
e-mailed to them about the harmful effects of such chemicals as glyphosate, the main ingredient in Round-Up.
I would
call upon the City Council to make every effort to implement alternatives to
spraying regular herbicides in Sedona, including revisiting the attempt on
using the alternative herbicide “C-Cide.”
The city’s
Public Works Department has declared that alternative herbicides do not work,
but I am not convinced they gave alternative pest management a fair trial.
Blue
Evening Star
Red Rock
News
Sedona should hire expert weed killer
A few months ago, an issue was brought
before the Sedona City Council. The
issue is the desire of many residents to put a stop to the spraying of toxic
herbicides along Hwy. 89A. A petition
circulated and there were so many signatures that City Manager Eric Levitt was obligated to bring the issue to the City
Council.
At the meeting, residents voiced evidence
supporting the fact that herbicides are toxic and a risk to human health. In addition, it was made clear that non-toxic
weed control measures are available. The
mayor and the council voted unanimously to stop the use of toxic herbicides and
begin the use of safe alternative procedures.
As I understand it, no one with
experience was hired to make the switch.
Those who oversaw the project did not implement the comprehensive
program recommended by experts. As a
result, the project did not succeed.
Now, the decision to use non-toxic
products and procedures is being overturned.
The spraying of toxic herbicides will soon resume. This makes no sense.
There are many cities throughout the
United States that have successfully switched to non-toxic weed control measures. Even big cities, with large areas to treat,
are making the sustained effort to switch.
These cities have decided to make the health of residents a high
priority.
There are people who have made Sedona
their home who wish to live in as clean an environment as possible. Among them are people with severe health
conditions made worse by exposures to poisons.
And that is what herbicides are—poisons.
The city needs to hire an expert and
follow the rigorous comprehensive program required to switch to non-toxic weed
control. If other cities can do it,
certainly Sedona can do it also.
Speak up, residents.
Gina Kerner
Sedona