Here are questions we have been asking (and have not yet received answers to):
- When and how will you inform all residents (especially those on county roads that are going to be sprayed) that this program is being undertaken, what the herbicide is that is being used, the date of spraying and how to opt out? How will this information be communicated effectively to ensure every person affected knows?
- How many complaints have you received about wild parsnip and between what period? Are there other noxious weeds that have the same call in rate? What about poison ivy? How are these concerns dealt with?
- What are the consequences of destroying habitat for pollinators? Has an environmental, finanical and social impact assessment been undertaken? What industries or trades (ie food production) will be affected?
- Why was such a broad spectrum herbicide chosen? ClearView kills all legumes and, for example, has an impact on alfalfa, etc for a period of 60 months. Legumes enrich the grasses and alfalfa is a key food source for bees.
- What are the actual costs of effective mowing – at the right time? What research has been considered? What experts have been consulted? What examples from other areas have been considered?
- Have the financial, environmental, social costs of mowing versus spraying over an extended period – ie. 60 months, the apparent time ClearView has an impact on certain species – been investigated and recorded? How do they compare?
- Are there unforeseen benefits of mowing – ie. employment, keeping money in the community? How does it compare to those created by spraying?
- How do you propose to control the spread of wild parsnip seed? Some landowners will be opting out. What is the percent of coverage required for ClearView to be effective? At what point will it not be effective?
- Has there been a hearing with witnesses and have residents been given a chance to provide input before the decision was made?
- Have you considered a public education campaign or sessions on mitigating possible negative impacts of wild parsnip? Similar to the outreach that has been done on poison ivy, ticks, etc. ? These outreach campaigns are very effective at empowering citizens to take responsibility for themselves.
- Is it true that the inert ingredients in this herbicide will never be known to us and could include any of the chemicals in the Health Canada formulant list, several which are listed to have toxicity?
- Have the unintended long-term and irreversible consequences to using a herbicide such as ClearView been fully considered?
- Is it safe to use the herbicide ClearView on slopes such as ditches? It says in the regulations that it should not be applied to moderate to steep slopes. Is a ditch a moderate slope
- Are the potential impacts of herbicide spraying possibly worse than those of wild parsnip?
- How many cases of wild parsnip are reported each year? How serious are they and how do they compare to the concerns raised by Drs. Coombes and Linda Harvey (see Presentations to Council?