To the Editor:
I write today regarding the herbicide spraying of Island rights-of-way and easements on town and private property by Eversource. Readers may recall the Eversource spraying that occurred in Edgartown and Vineyard Haven in fall 2017, and the public outpouring of concern that resulted at that time.
Keith Chatinover recently sent a letter to the Times (Jan. 9, “Let’s tackle glyphosate this year”) documenting the safety issues concerning glyphosate, which is a primary ingredient in the widely used herbicide Roundup. Roundup is just one of several herbicide preparations that Eversource uses, depending on the type of vegetation to be killed. Eversource’s spraying notice in fall 2017 for Edgartown, Tisbury, and Oak Bluffs included five different herbicidal compounds in seven commercial brands, often sprayed together in mixtures. In some cases, “inert” ingredients that potentiate these herbicides are themselves toxic to other forms of life. Moreover, toxicity of the compounds is usually assessed by the manufacturer, typically under favorable conditions, and without their “inert” ingredients nor in mixtures of multiple herbicides.
Given these facts, it is easy to see why landowners with properties bearing easements and their abutters want to stop, restrict, or at least bow out of Eversource spraying. However, they have no legal power to do so at present, as state law governs this area. In the last legislative session, Rep. Dylan Fernandes and Sen. Julian Cyr filed identical bills empowering Massachusetts towns to protect their environment and residents from harmful pesticides and herbicides, but they did not succeed. The bills have been refiled in the present session, and will face an uphill battle.
Another pathway is by Home Rule Petition to the legislature, a process in which towns receive permission to pass ordinances that override existing law. In 2018, Tisbury, West Tisbury, and Aquinnah passed town warrant articles leading to home rule petitions for local control of herbicide spraying by utilities and governmental agencies, and similar articles are, or hopefully soon will be, on 2019 town warrants for Edgartown, Chilmark, and Oak Bluffs. If our town warrant articles pass, the argument for a home rule act for the whole Island that gives residents the right to control our exposure to these potentially dangerous compounds may just become strong enough to get it done. Our legislators are standing by to help make it happen.
I urge all residents of Edgartown, Chilmark, and Oak Bluffs to support these 2019 warrant articles.
Alan Strahler
Edgartown
The restrictions dont succeed because there is nothing wrong with glyphosate in Roundup. This is unnecessary alarmism just like flouride and GMO and chemicals in plastic bottles. The very people who rant about climate denial overwhelmed by science do not use science when bloviating about Roundup. They didnt use science on DDT nor Silicone nor on a host of other products good for consumers. They are Luddites.