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Reducing Herbicide Use in the OzarksElectric utilities throughout the Ozarks are presently using a combination of herbicides to kill the native plants, trees, and shrubs that grow beneath the power lines throughout our region. Thousands of miles of Right of Ways (ROW’s) are being sprayed, causing harm to a wide range of species. Chemical residues from herbicides wash into area creeks, ponds, springs, wells, and groundwater. A recent report from the US Geological Survey Commission titled “Man Made Organic Compounds in Source Water” states that, “Little is known about the potential effects of most herbicide degradates on human health. The common occurrence of mixtures of compounds means that the total combined toxicity in source water may be greater than that of any single compound that is present. The report goes on to warn, “Continued research is needed because human-health benchmarks are based on toxicity data for individual compounds, and the additive or synergistic effects of mixtures of compounds at low levels are not well understood.” The report advises an emphasis on watershed management and source-water protection. *Kingsbury, Delzer, and Hamilton, USGS 2008 The Ozark Mountains have thin porous soils. The underlying limestone karst is full of cracks and caves where surface water runs directly into groundwater. We depend on springs, seeps, and wells for our drinking water. We all live downstream. CALL OR WRITE YOUR ELECTRIC COMPANY. ASK THAT YOUR RIGHT OF WAY (ROW) BE PERMANENTLY NOTED, “NO SPRAY”. To be certain that your land does not get sprayed, you may also want to post your electric right of way with signs. Talk to your neighbors. Keep an eye out for electric maintenance crews or subcontractors in your area. For your added protection, you may want to communicate your concerns in writing, and keep a record. Go to http://grassrootsozark.net/forum/herbicides for signs, information, and resources. If you observe a crew spraying near creeks or waterways, or, washing equipment in a stream, please report this to the Arkansas Plant Board (501) 225-1598, and, The Arkansas Dept. of Environmental Quality (501) 682-0657 Please include photographs of possible violations if available.
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Information on Pesticides and Herbicides
Beyond Pesticides provides the public with useful information on pesticides and alternatives to their use. With this information, people can and do protect themselves and the environment from the potential adverse public health and environmental effects associated with the use and misuse of pesticides.
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/
The PAN Pesticides Database is your one-stop location for current toxicity and regulatory information for pesticides. To find out more about insecticides, herbicides and other pesticides select one of the choices below. To learn more about our comprehensive collection of data sources see About the Data. This resource is a project of Pesticide Action Network North America
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/
PANNA (Pesticide Action Network North America) works to replace pesticide use with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives. As one of five autonomous PAN Regional Centers worldwide, we link local and international consumer, labor, health, environment and agriculture groups into an international citizens' action network. This network challenges the global proliferation of pesticides, defends basic rights to health and environmental quality, and works to ensure the transition to a just and viable society.
http://www.panna.org/
Pesticides in karst
Thanks Vern, for all the useful and timely information regarding pesticides. What is seldom, if ever, explored by business or government is the fragility of karst systems such as the Ozarks that provide little, if no, filtration or time delay from when the pesticide is applied and when it may find its way into the groundwater. These chemicals all have varying times in which they begin to break down into less harmful by-products or are rendered less harmful by UV light or oxidation.
What is applied to NE Arkansas or "delta" soils or Northern Missouri soils behaves totally different from what happens in the Ozarks. That is a given which somehow government and business must eventually acknowledge.
EPA regulations for storage and handling are one thing. The EPA under bush has become ultra politicized and cannot any longer be trusted to have the public good as its primary function. This is, after all, the agency which tried to have lead standards removed since "lead poisoning has decreased over the last 30 years."
As citizens of the Ozark plateaus and mountains, we need to reassert our sovereignty over our air, soil and water. We need to be willing to work with government agencies and businesses to find viable alternatives to spraying petro-chemicals on ourselves and in our backyards. We must stand firm, though, on the blanket use of these compounds as if they are "safe". We must fall back on the "Precautionary Principle" which assumes the burden of proof needs to be on the promulgators of these chemicals and NOT on the ordinary citizens. Company studies or studies filtered through universities by companies all need to remain suspect. In too many cases the effects of these chemicals don't begin to show up until 20-30 years have lapsed, making any "precautionary" steps moot.
-Tom Kruzen
Pesticides, herbicides, Ar Plant Board info
Pesticides and herbicides are supposedly considered equally by the Arkansas State Plant Board.
The plant board also has interesting links regarding the laws and
regulations they are charged to enforce:
www.plantboard.org/pesticides_groundw.html
and regarding endangered species:
www.plantboard.org/pesticides_end.html
Link to a trove of EPA data:
www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html
Post your land NO SPRAY!
Please download the file attachment to create your own sign. You can have this printed and sealed with plastic for outdoor use at any Kinko's or similar printing outlet for $2-3. Post this sign at both ends of your utility right of way.
Protecting Ozark Waters
A short video describing the threat to water posed by the indiscriminate use of herbicides.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZiCqtb6hS0