Eureka Springs resident Al Larson was surprised to arrive home June 17 and find a man spraying herbicides on a neighbor’s blackberry bush that goes underneath power lines owned by Carroll Electric Cooperative Corp. Larson is concerned that herbicides are toxic and thought that he had a No Spray agreement with CECC.
“I was driving up our street when I encountered one individual who was spraying down the blackberry bush next to the power pole that I myself, my kids and other kids in neighborhoods have eaten off of for thirty years,” Larson said. “I tried to talk to the sprayer. He didn’t speak English, but indicated the boss was down the road. There were four more men there getting ready to spray the entirety of Spur Lane and I told them I didn’t want them to spray and I didn’t think others who live on Spur Lane wanted it either.”
The boss also didn’t seem to understand what Larson was saying.
“He either couldn’t or wouldn’t speak English,” Larson said. “He was with a company called Progressive Solutions, which I found ironic since using a ‘solution’ of toxic chemical is hardly a progressive way to maintain the right-of-way.”
When Larson called CECC he was told that he didn’t have a No Spray order on file. Although it’s too late this time, he took steps to rectify that. He doesn’t think that the spraying is necessary anyhow because there are only bushes along the right-of-way, not trees that can grow up into the power lines.
“Nothing was growing anywhere near the power lines,” Larson said. “This is all shrubs. When it is trees and limbs, Carroll Electric has another company they hire that clears mechanically. My understanding is that they have the right to maintain their right-of-way and they can do that mechanically if you sign a No-Spray request for your property.”
Cory Smith, vice president of corporate relations for CECC, said Carroll Electric does consider requests from property owners to avoid herbicidal applications on their property along distribution line easements. The property owner must submit a completed “Request to Avoid Herbicidal Vegetation Management” application to the Cooperative.
“To be considered and accurately processed, the completed application, along with all supporting documents, must be received no later than March 15,” Smith said. “Any requests received after this date will be considered for the following years’ herbicidal vegetation management cycle.
“Once the application is reviewed, Carroll Electric personnel will meet with the property owner and mark the property boundary on its herbicide avoidance map. The application is valid for six years, and the Cooperative will send a renewal letter before the original application term expires. Carroll Electric will still mechanically maintain utility corridors that do not receive herbicidal applications.”
Smith said that Cooperative applies a balanced approach to removing incompatible vegetation that grows within its power line corridors.
“Among other things, an effective vegetation management plan enhances the safe, reliable, and affordable electricity for the members of Carroll Electric,” Smith said. “Industry experience and studies have demonstrated the safest and most efficient way to keep power lines free of unwanted trees and brush is through a vegetation management process that uses both mechanical and herbicidal methods.”
Smith said a balanced vegetation management process that uses both mechanical and herbicidal methods results in declining maintenance costs by reducing stem counts and the root mass of incompatible plants located within power line corridors.
“The Cooperative attributes its vegetation management plan, among other best practices, to keeping electric rates affordable, which are presently 27 percent below the national average,” Smith said. “While reducing cost is important, there are many other benefits to applying a balanced approach to removing vegetation. These benefits include maximizing public and employee safety, reducing and minimizing power outages, reducing factors that lead to soil erosion, promoting wildflower development, enhancing wildlife habitat, and better preserving desirable vegetation species.”
Smith said an essential part of the Cooperative’s vegetation management program is optimizing the use of qualified contractors.
“With over 10,000 miles of power line, it is imperative our internal process identifies the approved requests previously mentioned as well as the vegetation growth that has occurred since the previous mechanical cycle,” he said. “All of this is formulated into a bidding process to minimize the amount of applied herbicides and ultimately the cost of the Cooperative’s vegetation management program.
“Regarding the use of herbicides, all products have been rigorously tested and are properly registered for use with the Environmental Protection Agency. Contractors also apply the appropriate product strictly in accordance with prescribed regulations.”
In the past, the CECC has said it uses several different herbicides including one that includes one of the most common herbicides, glyphosate, which has been declared a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The manufacturer of Roundup, Monsanto (now owned by Bayer), has been defending thousands of lawsuits alleging that the product causes non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. There are also concerns that glyphosate harms bees and other insects and disrupts natural food chains.
It is estimated that more than 1.8 million tons of glyphosate are used annually in the U.S. Some municipalities in the U.S. have banned the use of glyphosate and several European countries are phasing out its use.
In 2009, CECC customers opposed to herbicide spraying received a letter from the EPA that said while pesticides are required to be registered by EPA, EPA does not endorse pesticide products, and claims implying EPA endorsement are false and misleading.
“Second, it is critical to understand that EPA does not view registration as a guarantee of safety,” said a letter from David W. McQuiddy, Chief, Pesticides Section, Region 6 EPA. “EPA regulations specifically prohibit manufacturers of pesticides from making claims such as ‘safe,’ ‘harmless’ or ‘non-toxic to humans or pets’ with or without accompanying phrases such as ‘when used as directed’.”
Smith said that, as always, they invite members who are interested in these issues to contact the Cooperative.
“We have a team of professionals familiar with this process ready to address any questions or concerns they might have as it relates to this topic,” he said.