For Immediate Release June 4, 2001
by Ellie Goldberg,
(h) 617 965-9637 erg_hk@juno.com
Co Chair, GreenCAP, the Committee for Alternatives to Pesticides
Green Decade Coalition/Newton, www.greendecade.org 617/ 965-1995
The MBTA has given notice that the Green Line tracks will be sprayed with weed killers sometime between July 23 and August 3. Roundup-Pro will be sprayed on the main tracks and Roundup-Pro and Oust will be used in the yards. The Bay Colony Rail Road will be spraying Roundup-Pro on the same dates.
GreenCAP is disappointed to learn about the MBTA and the Bay Colony RR plans. Unfortunately, municipalities have no legal power to stop it.
Back in July 1995, GreenCAP received over 50 calls in response to the “public alert” that GreenCAP mailed to residents, day care centers, nursing homes and other property owners near the tracks. The Newton Board of Aldermen passed a resolution requesting a public meeting. The scheduled spray was postponed. There was a large public meeting at the Newton Free Library with representatives of the MBTA, city officials and state representatives.
Both the public and city and state officials strongly objected to the MBTA’s pesticide use. Citizens questioned the need for spraying. They expressed serious concerns about the hazards of the weed killers, Roundup and Oust, about the potential for pesticide drift and run off to surrounding properties, about the MBTA's lack of communication, and about the way the spraying would be conducted.
A task force including the Newton Health Department and MBTA officials was formed to develop alternative ecologically safe approaches to weed control but did not meet.
In 1999, in response to the MA Turnpike Authority’s and Conrail’s plan to use herbicides on rights-of-way inNewton, Mayor David B. Cohen wrote letters expressing deep concern that the use of herbicides presented an unacceptable risk to residents. He pointed out that Newton was committed to alternatives such as hardy ground covers, low maintenance vegetation, mechanical weed control and other low impact non-chemical techniques.
Mayor Cohen, a sponsor of the Rivers and Wetland Protection Acts as a state legislator, wrote, “I am very concerned about the immediate exposure of herbicide drift to Newton residents, as well as the runoff into water supplies, wells, and wetlands. Such lands run close to our homes, yards, gardens, wells and waterways and they should be protected.”
Today, our objections are stronger than ever. All pesticides are poison. Pesticides can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin or swallowed in treated areas as well as down wind and down stream. And they are unnecessary as alternative non-toxic weed control approaches are known to be both effective and economical.
GreenCAP urges anyone who objects to the pesticide spraying to let local and state public officials know. (Addresses below.)
Citizens who want to learn more about the hazards of RoundUp and other weed killers should call 617 965-1995 and leave a message for GreenCAP. (Ask for Glyphosate (RoundUp) Herbicide Fact Sheet from the Journal of Pesticide Reform. The full text is available as a PDF file. See the brief summary below.)
ADVISORY: According to the US EPA, everyone should minimize exposure to pesticides, especially children, the elderly, pregnant women and individuals with health problems.
Residents who live near the Green Line or whose neighbors use pesticides for tree or lawn care should follow these steps:
* Keep windows closed.
* Keep pets, toys and laundry indoors.
* Cover vegetable gardens.
* Cover or remove lawn furniture, play equipment, barbecue grills, etc.
* Keep children and pets away from treatment areas.
* Remove your shoes upon entering your home to avoid tracking residue inside.
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Mayor David B. Cohen
Newton CIty Hall
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, Massachusetts 02459
(617) 552-7000
State Officials
Rights-of-Way Program, Michael McClean
Pesticide Bureau
Massachusetts Deaprtment of Food & Agriculture
251 Causeway Street, Suite 500
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 626-1780 Michael.McClean@state.ma.us.
Fax (617) 626-1850
http://www.massdfa.org/pesticides/rightofway/index.htm
STATE SENATOR
CYNTHIA STONE CREEM
Room 416-B
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-1639
CCreem@senate.state.ma.us
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
RACHEL KAPRIELIAN
Room 33
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2220
Rep.RachelKaprielian@hou.state.ma.us
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
RUTH B. BALSER
Room 134
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2400
Rep.RuthBalser@hou.state.ma.us
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
PETER J. KOUTOUJIAN
Room 448
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2582
Fax: (617) 722-2879
Rep.PeterKoutoujian@hou.state.ma.us
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
KAY KHAN
Room 22
State House
Boston, MA 02133
Telephone: (617) 722-2140
