Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has for decades applied herbicides for roadside vegetation control that harm salmon, wildlife, and humans. A coalition of organizations has informed WSDOT that it is out of compliance with several laws.
Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-270-040 adopted in 1991 mandates, among other things, consultation with tribes, local governments, and interested parties to reduce herbicide use in all Puget Sound counties.
WSDOT is attempting to wiggle out of its legally vulnerable position by holding a meeting (public hearing) while they rewrite the WAC instead of trying to reduce their chemical dependence. April 6, 6 to 9 p.m., at the High School Performing Arts Auditorium at Main and Terry in Coupeville, is the only official opportunity to comment.
Presented with scientific studies linking harm to salmon with road spray chemicals, WSDOT commissioned an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) which did not look at salmon and only at studies done by chemical corporations. Waterways were not tested, nor wells, nor chinook salmon habitat. No safe levels have been established for most herbicides or their inert (secret) ingredients, particularly for Oust and RoundupPro, two WSDOT favorites.
This is a long-standing pattern with WSDOT and only tribal and public legal pressure aimed at top-level WSDOT administrators and the legislature holds hope for change. Since 2001 our goal has been to get WSDOT to stop spraying herbicides in locally mandated “no spray” counties: Clallam, Jefferson, Island, San Juan, Snohomish and Thurston. Told this was impossible, we requested a pilot no spray program for Island County. In spite of our documentation and strong popular support, we have been offered less than a 3 percent reduction on Whidbey Island. When told no spray was too costly, we did the numbers and found WSDOT overlooked many of the expenses of using herbicides. In the long term, no spray will be far less expensive.
When asked what it would take for WSDOT to change, regional staff said, “Pressure from above.” To create that pressure, we will need a large turn-out April 6, massive communication and public outreach, media exposure, an environmental lawyer and a firm commitment that all applications of herbicides will stop in no spray counties. Please communicate with local and state public officials, talk to your friends and neighbors and plan to car pool April 6:
Doug MacDonald, Secretary of Transportation, P.O. Box 473000, Olympia, WA 98504-7300, 360-707-7000, macdond@wsdot.wa.gov.
Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen (Transportation Committee), P.O. Box 40410, Olympia, WA 98504-0410, 360-786-7550, haugen_ma@
leg.wa.gov.
Dave McCormick WSDOT NW Regional Administrator, P.O. Box 330310, Seattle, WA 98133, 206-440-4656, mccormd@wsdot.wa.gov (Dave is coordinating the meetings.)
Ray Willard, WSDOT Landscape Architect, P.O. Box 47358, Olympia, WA 98504-7358, 360-705-7865, Willard@wsdot.wa.gov.
Gov. Gary Locke, P.O. Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-002, 360-753-6780, governor.locke@
governor.wa.gov (has to be sent from Web page)
Theresa Marie K. Gandhi
Clinton
