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Author Topic: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande  (Read 2045 times)  Share 

Offline RikD

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Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« on: March 24, 2009, 09:02:20 AM »
Here is the news story out of the Houston Chronicle:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6335446.html

The article says that this chemical may eventually be used along a 130 mile section in the "Laredo Sector", as well as "other parts" of the US-Mexico border.  Hope they don't expand the program up river much more...

-Rik
« Last Edit: March 24, 2009, 09:16:13 AM by RikD »
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Offline Fred

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Re: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2009, 08:16:34 PM »
If I lived down there I would not want them to spray agent orange in my back yard.  And if I lived down stream I would not want to drink agent orange in my water.

Are these workers that come over really causing us a problem big enough that we risk poisoning our own people?

A very simple worker's permit program, that makes it easier and safer to come and work legally would solve this without all these band-aid efforts.  But I suspect there are some US companies, that want to abuse workers, so they prefer to keep them illegal.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2009, 08:34:42 PM by Fred »
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Offline RikD

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Re: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2009, 04:57:12 PM »
It looks like some residents near Laredo have filed a lawsuit against US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to halt the experimental $2.1 million project to apply the imazapyr chemical. CBP had planned to use the chemical to eradicate carrizo cane that grows along the Rio Grande. Apparently it grows very thick and people can easily hide behind it.

The US Army Corps of Engineers are saying that imazapyr is not toxic orally, but only slightly toxic if it gets on your skin or you breathe it in. The CPB was planning to cut the carrizo cane down and apply imazapyr to the stalks, and then aerially spray the banks using helicopters.

In any case here is the latest article from CNN on the story.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/25/mexico.border.herbicide/index.html

-Rik
« Last Edit: March 25, 2009, 05:00:19 PM by RikD »
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Offline sleepy

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Re: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2009, 06:43:44 PM »
WTF?  it's all gone past crazy
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Offline Casa Grande

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Re: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2009, 06:52:55 PM »
Quote from: sleepy on March 25, 2009, 06:43:44 PM
WTF?  it's all gone past crazy

you got it.....
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Offline Roy

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Re: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2009, 10:28:05 PM »
Agent Orange it's not, or even paraquat.  But aerial application of a "non-specific broad spectrum" toxin is going to have a lot of unanticipated side effects.  That's a lock. 
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Offline Al

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Re: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2009, 10:38:10 PM »
I agree with Roy on this one.  Aerial application of the chemical designed as a broad spectrum herbicide adjacent to and inevitably into a major water source is a potentially significant environmental issue that as best I can tell has not been adequately assessed.

Al
« Last Edit: March 25, 2009, 10:44:32 PM by Al »
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Offline SA Bill

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Re: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2009, 10:44:07 PM »
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Bill - In San Antonio

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Growing up is optional.

Offline Al

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Re: Plant Poisoning to Begin Along the Rio Grande
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2009, 10:56:28 PM »
One has to assume we had to concede we couldn't quantify the effects of the herbicide downstream in a flowing river on non-target vegetation.  Otherwise, Imazapyr appears relatively innocuous.

http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/imazapyr_red.pdf 

Al
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