Toxics

On July 14 I received this email from a community gardener.

“Today the City came by doing maintenance for the Mello Lane/Cider Knoll
parking lot area and path to the conservation area trail.

They had a City pickup, with a spray compressor and tank with a
yellowish-looking solution in the back, and a worker was applying that
solution to the plants and grounds.
I asked what he was applying and he very nicely and politely said “1%
RoundUp”, and that he had a license.
That was initially by the blue barrel and in front of the map kiosk.

I asked if he could wait a minute so that I could move my automobile,
which he nicely did, and I moved the automobile out of the spray zone
along the North and East edges of the parking lot, initially.

Later, while in the garden, I noticed the truck holding the spray
compressor had moved to the area near the three compost bins, and he
began spraying around that area, exactly what I don’t know, but some of
it was on or very near the woodchip pile that is used as “stock” for
putting on the organic community garden paths.  Maybe we don’t want to
put any more of those chips into the community garden now?

I do not have the expertise to know if this is something we need be
concerned about, but thought that a wide-spectrum broadleaf herbicide
might not go well with some vegetable crops’ vitality, but maybe I am
mistaken.  So, I am referring the observation to people that might have
a better sense of what is going on to determine if there is anything we
need to do differently.”

 

I also have a plot there.  I have heard other concerns about toxics in Marlborough.  I communicated with city officials and received no response.  If the DPW is spraying near an organic community food garden, it is probable it is spraying along roadsides, in parks and at schools.  This is my third communication:

 

PUBLIC LETTER
August 4, 2014

Dear City Officials:  Mayor Arthur Vigeant, DPW Commissioner and Facilities Director John Ghiloni, and Conservation Officer Priscilla Ryder:
 
Based on research in articles below, certain toxics in products affect public health.
 
I ask you to immediately:
  • Stop applying substances such as Roundup in Marlborough public areas.
  • Dispose of existing supplies as hazardous waste.
  • Add it to a “not-to-be-purchased-by-city-employees-or-officials-for-public-use” list/policy/regulation.
Toxics exist in many pesticides, herbicides and cleaning products.
 
I ask you to immediately:
  • Do a toxics inventory in all city buildings (DPW, Schools, etc.)
  • Dispose as hazardous waste ALL pesticides, herbicides, and cleaning chemicals with toxics.
  • Adopt non-toxic-products purchasing policies and practices.
I ask you protect public health.
  • Protect the health of Marlborough employees (from the chemicals they are given to work with).
  • Protect Marlborough residents (from chemicals in the the water we drink, the food we eat, the land we walk on, the air we breath).
  • Protect local ecosystems (wildlife and plant life that are affected).
  • Do not purchase products with toxics that harm others during their manufacture, distribution, storage, or use.
Communities experience savings and improve health by adopting non-toxics products and practices.
See two links about Community Toxics Reduction below.

Round Up & Herbicide Articles

Sample Community Toxics Reduction Strategy/Plans/Resources
Resident, Marlborough
Founder, Green Marlborough
Other resource:  EPA TRI Inventory Program http://www2.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program