The topic will be discussed at a
Wednesday night town hall
meeting hosted by Quan.
"There are many restrictions in
this proposal that require the
herbicides to be used in a
manner that protects the
environment," said Sue Piper,
Quan's policy analyst. "It's
just one of an array of many
tools."
One stipulation is that the weed
killer must be dyed and
hand-applied directly to the
stump of a cut tree, so that it
stays within the system of the
tree and doesn't leach out into
the soil, Piper said. If it does
spread, the dye will indicate
how far it has gone.
Councilwoman Jane Brunner said
the ban on herbicides was
originally created to eliminate
their use in areas where
children play. She aims to keep
that as one of the proposal's
requirements.
"I
am impressed with the
carefulness of this proposal,
but I want it to be very clear
that (herbicides) should never
be used on parks," Brunner said.
Brunner said herbicides may
eventually be used on highway
medians.
"We don't have enough staff to
control the weeds," she said.
The herbicides would be used to
help eradicate blue gum
eucalyptus, acacia, Scotch and
French broom, and pampas grass.
Environmentalists said that
while using herbicides is less
than ideal, it might be
necessary.
"We would encourage any
community to look at
alternatives to using
herbicides," said Environmental
Protection Agency spokesman Mark
Merchant.
He
said other means of abatement
would benefit both the
environment and human health.
However, he added that the EPA
could support the use of
herbicides if a city deemed it
the best course of action.
"I'm
sure Oakland will apply and use
the herbicide properly,"
Merchant said.
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