Last summer Northeast Utilities sprayed two herbicides, glyphosate and metsulfuron methyl, along the banks of the Power Canal in Turners Falls. Spraying was done from a truck and the sprayed area was within fifty feet of our homes. In some areas it was as close to ten feet from homes with windows open in the summer heat.

We have many concerns about this spraying that have not been adequately addressed by Northeast Utilities, its contractor, or the state's Pesticide Bureau. These are some of them:

Lack of public input. We had no opportunity, as required by law, to comment on Northeast's five-year proposed vegetation management plan. There was a regional hearing for comments, but we were not informed about it.

Lack of warning. We were not informed of the date on which herbicides would be used, the area where they would be used, or what they were. Nor were we informed of the precautions we should take to keep ourselves, our children, and our pets safe. No effort was made by Northeast to determine if there were any people with impaired immune systems, asthma, or chemical sensitivities living in the affected area.

Safety and health concerns. While the manufacturers claim that glyphosate and metsulfuron methyl are safe for humans, we have questions about the objectivity and quality of the tests supporting this claim. Glyphosate has been linked to increased incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and other data suggest it may be an endocrine disrupter that can affect fertility and sexual maturation. The vehicle used with glyphosate, POEA (polyethoxylated tallowamine), is itself toxic and highly irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract.

Contamination of area water. According to Massachusetts law (333 CMR 110), herbicides are not to be applied "in such a manner that results in drift to any area within ten feet of standing or flowing water in a wetland . . .or within 100 feet of any surface water used as a public water supply. . ." Northeast Utilities knowingly sprayed herbicides when it was already starting to drizzle; it rained shortly after application, m all likelihood washing some water-soluble glyphosate into the Canal and, ultimately, the Connecticut River.

Unenforceable "safeguards." Massachusetts law (333 CMR 110) further states: "No foliar herbicide shall be applied within 100 feet of any inhabited area" unless it is applied "selectively below pressure foliar techniques or stem application." There is no way of enforcing this provision, however, and we cannot be sure that Northeast Utilities was in compliance with Massachusetts law when it sprayed our neighborhood.

Ignoring safer alternatives to herbicides. In accordance with laws requiring the use of techniques "to minimize the amount and frequency of herbicide application," we believe Northeast should pay more attention to alternative approaches to managing foliage along the canal bank and elsewhere.

Harm to the environment. Herbicide spraying is reducing or eliminating habitat for ducks, geese, groundhogs, and muskrats that live and breed along the banks. Following the spraying, the groundhogs, muskrats, and many of the ducks died or disappeared from the Canal. Glyphosate and POEA are also toxic to fish, tadpoles, and adult frogs that live in or near the Canal.

Trauma to the neighborhood. A healthy two-and-a-half year-old girl, who lived by a heavily sprayed area, died abruptly of seizures one week after the spraying. Whatever the cause of her death, which is still under investigation, the neighborhood has been traumatized by it and is fearful of a repetition.

Because of lingering doubts about the safety of long-term exposure to these herbicides and associated chemica4, even in small doses, we firmly believe that continued spraying by Northeast Utilities is not in the best interests of the residents of Turners Falls or the company.

Editor's Note: If you'd like join in to express your concern on this issue, write to:

Stan Rosenberg
Sen.StanRosenberg@senate.state.ma.us

or your state representative:

State Rep. Stephen Kulik
Rep.StephenKulik@hou.state.ma.us

State Rep. Christopher Donelan
Rep.ChristopherDonelan@hou.state.ma.us

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