Intent to spray herbicides By Bob Claus September 03, 2014
The State of Alaska DOT recently published a notice of intent to spray herbicides along the Thorne Bay Road. There is no public hearing and no opportunity for the public or communities of Prince of Wales Island to weigh in on the issue. This spraying could happen as soon as September. The notice was non-specific, listing all of the herbicides in the state’s arsenal, and did not include more than cursory geographic information. The notice did not discuss options to the broadcast spraying of herbicide such as manual or mechanical removal of unwanted roadside plants. This is inadequate and shameful. The State of Alaska can do better than this. The road corridor slated for spraying parallels the Thorne River, a major salmon producer on POW. The road crosses several fish-bearing streams including Gravelly Creek, Goose Creek, Rio Roberts, Rio Beaver, and Control Creek. The herbicide sprayed from the road would go directly into the watershed, potentially harming fish and amphibians. POW residents eat deer, berries and other foodstuffs gathered along this road corridor, all of which will be endangered by being sprayed with herbicides. There is a short leap from plants sprayed with poison to poison in our food system. This is wrong, and the State of Alaska should explore all alternatives including putting people to work cutting or pulling weeds to control roadside vegetation before spraying. The lack of public input and rushed process is disgraceful. What does the State have to hide by not publishing specific plans and holding public meetings? Bob Claus
Received August 28, 2014 - Published September 03, 2014
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