GREAT BARRINGTON — The Great Barrington Board of Health will meet on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. to act on a moratorium banning the town’s use of glyphosate, a pesticide ingredient recognized as a probable carcinogen to humans, the town said in a written statement today.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the popular weed killer Roundup, the most widely used herbicide in the U.S. The World Health Organization has deemed it “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Successful lawsuits have been brought against Roundup manufacturer Monsanto by plaintiffs who have developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer, after exposure to the chemical.
The Board of Health has been considering a ban for months and has the authority to enact it without town meeting approval. If enacted, the action would be consistent with the 2016 Annual Town Meeting vote for a resolution that commits Great Barrington to being a pollinator-friendly town, to protect food and ecological systems, the town said in its news release. Also now under way, and consistent with that resolution, is the installation of pollinator-friendly flowerbeds in downtown Great Barrington.
The moratorium would ban the town’s use of glyphosate on town-owned property, by town employees, volunteers or outside contractors. Cities and towns around the state are banning their own use of the pesticide on municipally owned property. However, state law prevents the town from regulating or banning how pesticides are used on private property within its borders.
“This is an important step in our commitment to protecting our community from cancer-causing agents, and to supporting our pollinator-friendly efforts throughout town,” said Rebecca Jurczyk, the town’s health agent.
In November 2019, Ed Stockman, a longtime farmer and GMO educator from Hampshire County, made a presentation to the Conservation Commission in town hall. Stockman said glyphosate, which is often used to control invasive species, actually encourages their growth through soil degradation.
Others, however, touted the effectiveness of glyphosate is fighting invasive species and controlling weed growth in railroad corridors. Ashley Falls dairy farmer Bob Kilmer told the commission he uses glyphosate on his farm. He was skeptical of the idea that it kills beneficial microbes and degrades the soil, adding that his own “soil has never been more productive.”
Kilmer said most studies say Roundup is actually safer than the alternatives that were used in the past such as Atrazine, which does not break down as easily as glyphosate.
The public is invited to join the Board of Health’s October 7 meeting, via Zoom, to participate, ask questions, and comment on the ban. The meeting link will be available on the Board of Health’s webpage before meeting time. The meeting can also be found on the October town calendar.
"use" - Google News
October 02, 2021 at 02:10AM
https://ift.tt/3iqXkdH
GB Board of Health to vote Oct. 7 on banning Roundup use on town property - theberkshireedge.com
"use" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2P05tHQ
https://ift.tt/2YCP29R
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "GB Board of Health to vote Oct. 7 on banning Roundup use on town property - theberkshireedge.com"
Post a Comment