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Marin County Board of Supervisors
Marin Supervisors Reject Glyhosate (AKA Roundup) Ban For Now But Will Soon Reconsider
On Tuesday (March 1, 2016), the Marin County Supervisors held a hearing on the 2015 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Annual Report and the IPM Program's 2016 Proposed Allowed Pesticide List, which includes toxic Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup. The hearing was well attended, with the majority of the public participants being pesticide-free supporters. Of note, Supervisor Candidate Susan Kirsch urged the Supervisors to ban Glyphosate and Supervisor Candidate Frank Egger called for a ban on all pesticides. (At other events, Supervisor Candidate Kevin Haroff also supported a ban on Glyphosate.) Pesticide opponents, including myself, found the meeting to be promising, even though we didn't achieve exactly what we wanted.
Public Expression:
During public expression, many voiced concern about Marin County’s use of pesticides, particularly Glyphosate, and cited the following findings, among others:
- Glyphosate was recently identified as a probable human carcinogen and therefore classified as a Group 2A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Based on the IARC’s listing and pursuant to state law, the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has issued a notice of intent to list Glyphosate as a chemical “known to the state” to cause cancer under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65).
- Respected scientific studies show that there is a strong correlation between Glyphosate and Glyphosate formulations and serious health and environmental hazards, including disruption of hormonal systems and beneficial gut bacteria, damage to DNA, developmental and reproductive toxicity, birth defects, cancer and neurotoxicity.
- Glyphosate and its metabolites can be highly active and mobile and persist for many months or years in the environment, depending on conditions.
- Glyphosate formulations with added ingredients (adjuvants) are up to 1000 times more toxic than their isolated active ingredients.
- Glyphosate use could increase the risk of fires (due to being a patented desiccant), erosion, and herbicide resistant super weeds.
- Glyphosate-based herbicides can harm all facets of an ecosystem, including the soil biology and composition, water, and non-target plants, aquatic organisms, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, animals, and humans.
The County Board reaffirmed their goal of bringing Glyphosate use down to zero. Pesticide-free supporters lauded the Supervisors’ goal but correctly asserted that it had little meaning, unless it was accompanied by a timeline and a specific due date. Sustainable TamAlmonte's attached letter urged the Supervisors to direct staff to set a schedule to: 1) Create a plan for a Glyphosate-free approach to vegetation management; 2) Estimate the cost of the plan; and 3) Implement the plan within 6 or 7 months.
Staff Report and Supervisors’ Comments:
Encouragingly, County Parks Staff indicated that they had already created such a plan. The plan consists of: 1) Getting bids from contractors for a Glyphosate-free approach (and possibly an herbicide-free approach) to vegetation management on the few remaining sites where they have still been using Glyphosate; and 2) Evaluating the proposed methods and costs. They further indicated that they should receive the bids within a month.
After Staff addressed the Supervisors' questions, Supervisor Damon Connolly called for an immediate ban on Glyphosate and Supervisor Kate Sears agreed, provided they were able to evaluate the costs of the alternative approach. Unfortunately, they didn't have a third vote. Rice was determined to keep Glyphosate in the toolbox and Arnold and Kinsey followed Staff's recommendation.
Outcome:
On a 3 (Rice, Arnold, & Kinsey) to 2 (Connolly & Sears) vote, the Supervisors approved the 2016 Proposed Allowed Pesticide List for now, which still includes toxic Glyphosate. With Connolly and Sears taking the lead, the Supervisors further directed Staff to return and present the Glyphosate-free plan and its cost before the Board approves the upcoming annual budget, which will take place in about a month. Upon evaluating the alternative plan and cost, the Supervisors will reconsider whether or not to ban the use of Glyphosate from the Integrated Pest Management Program.
Of Notable Importance:
It is important to note that the Marin County Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Ordinance, Policy, and Program only apply to the 147 sites managed by Marin County Parks (approximately 3,300 acres). The majority of lands under the County's stewardship are the 34 Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) preserves, which consist of nearly 16,000 acres. The IPM Ordinance, Policy and Program do NOT apply to the MCOSD lands. Due to this, pesticide opponents also requested that the Supervisors add the following topics to their Agenda: 1) Bringing the Marin County Open Space District under the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Ordinance; and 2) Requiring the Marin County Open Space District Vegetation and Biodiversity Plan Draft Tiered Program Environmental Impact Report’s alternative analysis to include a no-pesticide alternative.
Conclusion:
The use of toxic Glyphosate herbicide formulations could not only harm beneficial vegetation and wildlife but could also jeopardize public health and safety. This risk is unnecessary and unacceptable.
As described in the Marin Countywide Plan; “The Marin County Precautionary Principle carries the sense of foresight and preparation, and is the common-sense idea behind many adages: ‘Be careful’, ‘Better safe than sorry’; ‘Look before you leap’; ‘First, do no harm’. Historically, many environmentally harmful activities were stopped only after they resulted in environmental degradation or serious harm to many people. The precautionary principle is an approach characterized by minimizing or eliminating potential hazards at the onset of an activity instead of the approach that determines an ‘acceptable level of harm’.”
The County’s Precautionary Principle further states; “All officers, boards, commissions, and departments of the County shall implement the Precautionary Principle Ordinance in conducting the County affairs.”
Marin County Supervisors have an obligation to follow the Marin County Precautionary Principle and to protect Marin’s health and environment from the harmful effects of Glyphosate-based herbicides. As such, they should eliminate the use of Glyphosate herbicide formulations by both Marin County Parks and the Marin County Open Space District.
The Supervisors will soon reconsider whether or not to ban the use of Glyphosate from the Integrated Pest Management Program and we will learn whether or not they will uphold their responsibilities as guardians of Marin County’s environment and public health and safety.