Pesticide Update: Good News!  Some agreements have been met. A member of our coalition met with Supervisor Mueller. The meeting went well.  
 
(#1)Supervisor Mueller reported that the contract amendments to protect public funds from being used on pesticide reward/rebate programs are waiting to be approved on the council consent agenda.  Most of the council agreed with it.
 
(#2) The Parks annual report is complete for 2023.  I clarifies how they utilize IPM to manage invasive plants, fuel load, habitat, and maintenance in the park with pesticides/herbicides and mechanical and alternative means.  We are reading through it to make our assessment of what they could do better to protect public health. They are still using toxic pesticides/herbicides.
 
(#3) Pesticide notification in the parks seems clearer and more detailed now, yet the Parks Director does not currently agree to post notification of all pesticide/herbicide use in all areas of Parks when it is being used.  The community wants to know what, when, how and why any chemicals are being used at all times.  There is concern for pesticide drift in the air, water, and soil which is potentially dangerous to the public when you think about how it can travel into our drinking water in wells and for people with asthma walking in the Parks, let alone the effects on our sensitive ecosystems/wildlife.
 
Supervisor Mueller agreed to discuss the liability problem with the written justification of glyphosate use in the Parks Integrative Pest Management (IPM) Program.  He agreed the chemicals being used by the County are toxic and would address it with staff.  Thank you to Supervisor Mueller for standing up for the public and protecting public health!  

More to come on the specific chemicals being used on Public Lands and regrettable substitutions of glyphosate by Bayer/Envu (formerly Monsanto).

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