MassHighway to spray herbicides on I-495 median
By Catie Foertsch Community Reporter

Region - After a public comment period expires Wednesday Aug. 8, MassHighway plans to spray herbicides on weeds and grasses in the median areas on several of the state's highways, including Interstate 495 in Westborough, Southborough, Marlborough and Hudson.

While a MassHighway offi- cial said the areas to be sprayed are small and cannot be mown or weed-whacked safely, the Toxic Action Center (TAC) said herbicides in any amount are unsafe. UMass-Amherst is just finishing a study on herbicide alternatives, and TAC organizer Dan Dilworth said MassHighway should wait until the study results are reported and then apply nonherbicide weed control.

MassHighway spokesperson Eric Abel said 99.5 percent of the vegetated highway areas under MassHighway's control are mown or weed-whacked. The remaining area cannot be controlled mechanically, Abel said, because high traffic concentrations on high-speed roadways make mechanical operations unsafe for workers and for drivers.

"MassHighway recognizes concerns about widespread herbicide use, and we limit herbicide use as much as possible," Abel said. "But the safety of workers and drivers is also a concern."

According to Abel, there have been accidents in which cars have driven into mowing operations.

MassHighway's Yearly Operational Plan for Vegetative Management is available on the Web at www.mhd.state.ma.us/ yop. The plan is a detailed report that describes methods of herbicide application, types of herbicides that will be used and where herbicides will be applied. The plan also lists measures MassHighway will take to protect bodies of water and wetlands from herbicides, along with cleanup methods if herbicides are spilled.

Toxic Action Center

response

TAC is a New England nonprofit organization that helps citizens fight pollution in their cities and towns.

According to Dilworth, at least one of the herbicides MassHighway is planning to use has been linked to health problems in animals and humans.

"We have a zero tolerance policy on herbicides," Dilworth said. "We don't think any amount is worth the risk."

Asked whether using herbicides might be an acceptable tradeoff for worker safety, Dilworth said TAC could pose an alternate question.

"How much safer is it for workers using herbicides and for the community at large?" he said.

UMass-Amherst study

In 2004, the UMass-Amherst began a project to study alternatives to herbicides for roadside weed control. The project involved test plots at interstate highway weigh stations, where vegetation was treated with alternative chemicals including

" corn gluten and acetic acid (the acid in vinegar), and with nonchemical methods including steaming, flaming, mulching with organic materials and mulching with sheeting made from recycled products such as tires and plastic bottles.

Field testing was completed in 2006, and the results are due to be released later this summer. Abel said MassHighway would look at using alternatives identified by the report next year.

Public comment

The period for public comment on herbicide spraying will close Aug. 8. Herbicide spraying will commence shortly thereafter if the Department of Agricultural Resources gives the go-ahead, and will continue into the fall. Those who wish to comment should contact the Department of Agricultural Resources, Right of Way Program, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 251, Boston, MA 02114.

Dilworth called on concerned residents to contact their local boards of health and conservation commissions. MassHighway has also asked for comments from those bodies in each town in which it plans to spray.