The Lane County Board of Commissioners heard 2 hours of public testimony Tuesday, much of it opposing a lifting a moratorium on spraying herbicides on county roads. The board will form a task force to look at the issue.
Lane County Commissioners adopted the no spray policy in 2008.
Mary Gabriel is a doctor at Peacehealth. She urged the board not to go back to roadside spraying.
Gabriel: "The medical consequences of herbicides and pesticides have been well documented, dioxin especially. And there are immediate risks and health hazards and then there are the long-term carcinogenic risks."
Many people pointed to health risks and the affect herbicides have on pollinators and organic farms. But Commissioner Jay Bozievich says he received a petition from 200 farmers who want more options for coping with invasive plants.
Jim Evonuk has a farm outside Eugene / Springfield. He says some weeds growing along the road are too far gone to control with mowing.
Evonuk: “That new weed the spurge, I don't care if you buy 10 new mowers, you're not going to get it and it’s starting to creep into our alfalfa fields, it actually chokes the alfalfa out.”
The task force will look at options for future maintenance of roadside vegetation.
