<p>For the first time in four years, Eversource Energy plans to apply herbicides under some of its power lines on the Vineyard. A public comment period ends March 27.</p>
For the first time in four years, Eversource Energy plans to apply herbicides under some of its power lines on the Vineyard.
The energy company’s 2017 operational plan for the Cape and Islands, issued in January, targets 17 rights of way in the region, including West Chop and Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road. A public comment period ends March 27.
A similar plan raised alarm among Cape and Island residents in 2013, when Eversource resumed its use of herbicides following a four-year moratorium in response to public concern.
Eversource spokesman Michael Durand said this week that the company generally operates on a four-year cycle and has not applied herbicides on the Island since 2013. He added that the use of herbicides on the Island decreased between 2013 and the previous application in 2009, as a result of promoting native, low-growing plants.
“Those species are taking over in the rights of way and crowding out the taller invasive species,” he said. “Because of that, every time we go back to our work there is less area that needs to be treated because the compatible species are taking over.”
He said the herbicides are applied manually using backpack sprayers.
Four years ago Islanders raised concerns about how the chemicals might effect the environment, and pressed for better communication from the company. There were similar concerns on the Cape.
According to the 2017 operational plan, Eversource uses chemicals “that are low in acute toxicity, do not bioaccumulate and, as applied, have a short half-life with low soil mobility.” The chemicals are approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and reviewed by the state. The plan notes that in eastern Massachusetts, Eversource uses only herbicides approved for environmentally sensitive areas.
A list of recommended herbicides and adjuvants for 2017 includes Rodeo, which has been a source of controversy due to its active ingredient, glyphosate, which is thought to be carcinogenic, although studies have concluded it does not pose a risk in everyday situations.
Mr. Durand said glyphosate is the chemical Eversouce uses the least (mainly for cut stumps), in part because it targets grasses. “Grasses are what we want to promote,” he said, again noting the benefits of native species.
The vegetation control program begins with mowing, after which workers identify which species to remove and which to keep, and conduct hand-pruning.
A separate tree-trimming program is already underway in Oak Bluffs along New York and Circuit avenues and in the Tabernacle area, with Chilmark and Aquinnah next in line. Mr. Durand said the company hopes to get to Chilmark and Aquinnah sooner than later, since both towns were hard-hit in recent winter storms.
He said fallen trees and branches are the number one cause of power outages, even in clear weather, noting that the Cape and Islands are among the company’s most storm-vulnerable areas. The region has also suffered from an infestation of gall wasps, leading to more tree removals in recent years.
Eversource tagged more than 800 trees in Edgartown, West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah last year, saying that many of them had gall wasp damage. But in Chilmark, town selectmen, among others, questioned whether all the trees should come down. In a letter to Eversource last summer, executive secretary Tim Carroll noted that the removal of trees along public ways was regulated by state and local laws. Property owners must also grant permission before their trees are removed.
Mr. Durand said this week that he was unaware of any Island complaints, and that several hundred trees on the Island are still tagged for removal, mostly as a result of gall wasp damage and last year’s drought.
He said Eversource will schedule the herbicide application following the public comment period and approval by the state Department of Agricultural Resources. The company must publish notice at least 48 hours before the application begins.
Public comments can be sent to William Hayes, senior transmission arborist, Eversource Energy, Eastern MA, Transmission Vegetation Management, 247 Station Drive, SE-370, Westwood, MA 02090-9230. Mr. Hayes can also be reached at 781-441-3932.
The article has been updated to provide correct contact information for public comments.
Comments
I called and left a message
Dan ObI called and left a message against the spraying or herbicides. We don't want this stuff in our ground water or farm lands. The machine was not the machine of mr. Hayes but was instead for a contractor hired by eversource. Do we have an email contact or other means of communication to reach eversource?
Call mr. Hayes! New article
Dan ObCall mr. Hayes! New article in cape cod times today. Wellfleet bans use of herbicides: http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20170314/herring-river-project-bars-he…
You can contact the director
Melissa WTYou can contact the director of Agricultural Resources at: [email protected]. Ever source cannot spray without approval from this dept.
No herbicides please!
Sarah Saltonstall Old South Road, AquinnahNo herbicides please!
I eat roadside blackberries and so do the birds!
Sarah, Thank you for your
Angela Andersen West TisburySarah, Thank you for your comments! I strongly feel, we should fight this. I called again today, and like you, found that Eversource had changed over to a contractor.
I found the private cell phone number for Mr. Hayes and left a message there as well, asking, whether he wants to work together with concerned citizens on the Vineyard.
He seems like a good arborist. I also wrote an email to the Massachusetts Agricultural Department, which must have given Eversource the green light for the spraying.
Let's put the issue on all town meetings and make people aware. Maybe our selectmen and board of Health can be of assistance to stop this? Has anybody dealt with
stopping the spraying before?
Bring the issue up to your
Dan ObBring the issue up to your local board of health and selectmen.
NO NO NO NO NO
MageeNO NO NO NO NO
Why on earth is this the
Glenn Koetzner AquinnahWhy on earth is this the method for weed control in 2017? Eversource does not care about using poison on the island. Thank Monsanto.
In the Squibnocket Pond
wendy weldon squibnocket area, ChilmarkIn the Squibnocket Pond District which is a DCPC, herbicides and pesticides are strictly forbidden. Why not just keep the right of ways mowed which will encourage the native grasses to proliferate. Glyphosate is a dangerous chemical, banned in much of Europe. Please do not use glyphosate on our Island,
Please, no poisons. What's
Chris Daly AquinnahPlease, no poisons. What's wrong with pruning, mowing, and hacking? Why can't we protect our island?
(If it means hiring some people to do the work, so be it. We need jobs, too.)
We use old fashion hand
Nate Tisbury & W Newbury MaWe use old fashion hand pruning tractors and tired of losing friends to cancer. Lets all stand up and say no to spraying
NO NO No. Absolutely do not
Lyn Hinds EdgartownNO NO No. Absolutely do not use any poisons and that includes Glyphosate. Our small Island does not need more chemicals to pollute the land and ponds and ground water. The health of our human population as well as our wildlife and domestic animals is more important than a quick fix.
No to glyphosate! In fact,
Sandra Vineyard HavenNo to glyphosate! In fact, besides contacting Eversource to exclude these products, contact all the garden centers and hardware stores on island that sell products with glypohosate, telling them to remove these products from their inventory.
Let's start a petition so
Carol Lashnits Vineyard HavenLet's start a petition so that Eversource can't say they haven't heard from us. No spraying!!
Mower and weed eater will do
Mary Etherington Marfa, TexasMower and weed eater will do the trick. If your company buys the propaganda that the chemicals don't bioaccumulate etc then I have a bridge for you. Spraying chemicals never the answer. The Vineyard might want to become a pesticide/biocide free region. That stops them. Other communities have done it with great success.
I live downhill from the
Michael Savoy Vineyard HavenI live downhill from the powerlines off Lake Street.. I use a shallow water well for our house water supply, I'd really rather not have herbicides in my drinking water, thanks.
We know that these harsh
Alexandra Sheldon East Pasture, AquinnahWe know that these harsh chemicals cause all sorts of problems for animals and humans. Let's start a petition! No to the herbicides!
Eversource does not have our
Heather C. Rynd West Tisbury,MassachusettsEversource does not have our permission to spray Round-up or any other herbicide on Martha's Vineyard.
They do not have our permission to poison our water, our aquifers and cause harm to our fragile eco-system. They do not have permission to poison our birds, our insects, our butterflies and our bees.
What Eversource are calling "weeds", is a name the human species has given to many beneficial flowers and plants, that are in the "so-called wrong places". How absolutely arrogant.
What is the community doing to stop this? As far as i'm concerned we should be making this island 100% pesticide free...a 100% organic island.
write them call them the
Rebecca Gilbertwrite them call them the comment period ends soon (3/27)goats could do it cheaper
No herbicides. No chemicals.
Gary J Haley Aquinnah MANo herbicides. No chemicals. No thanks. We can't take a chance that some worker may use something harmful to get the job done quickly so they can catch the 3:45p boat home. We'll trim the stuff ourselves. Thanks, but NO!
No pesticides at all. Our
Paul and Ruby Iantosca ChilmarkNo pesticides at all. Our water is all wells and eventually we will be consuming it. No death to the birds and wildlife , except ticks.
Always fight or we lose.
No Spraying anything.
Check out the opinion piece
Deborah Wells West TisburyCheck out the opinion piece by Nicholas Kristof in Sunday's NY Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/11/opinion/sunday/are-your-sperm-in-tro…
We are the canaries in the coal mine!
Here is the eversource report
Dan ObHere is the eversource report with plan and herbicide types : http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/agr/pesticides/rightofway/yop/eversource-e…
Please do not use poisons on
Kim Fuson Oak BluffsPlease do not use poisons on our island! We cannot condone the use of these harmful chemicals in our fragile environment. I agree that we should consider making the island a pesticide and herbicide-free community.
Is this a tree branch problem
Fan Ogilvie' West TisburyIs this a tree branch problem or an invasive tall or short growing species problem? In either case tree or branch removal and
shrub eating goats should be sufficient. Or hand or machine pruning. Let Martha's " chemical free " Island set an example.
Keep this garbage off our
David Welch EdgartownKeep this garbage off our island. In case there's any doubt about the harming effects of glyphosate, please read this most recent article in the NY Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/business/monsanto-roundup-safety-law…
Eversource, Mr. Hayes, pay attention. We don't want this on our island. Do not threaten our aquifer.
My local Eversource rep (off
Margot Lane Menemsha/HilltownsMy local Eversource rep (off-island) says that the Emerald Ash Borer will completely decimate ash trees within five years in Massachusetts! So be prepared for Eversource to get tough about your local roadside ash trees as well! Yikes!
New phone number is correct.
Dan ObNew phone number is correct. Thanks Gazette.
We had the same issue in our
John D EdgartownWe had the same issue in our town, Sutton, MA, about 15 years ago with Tenneco Gas now Kinder/Morgan gas. They have an underground pipeline that gets overgrown every few years. No one wanted them to spray anything, so they actually wound up, after contacting the homeowners, by just cutting the weeds and natural growth. Now they contact us by mail before anything is done, and we actually know when they are scheduled to cut on the easement. The machines they use can do this without a problem. If you are there when it is done the contractors will listen. Hold your ground on this, the weed killer is the easy way out for them. Once they put some folks to work doing this, they might see the light.
Ok while I applaud everyone's
Jeff MVOk while I applaud everyone's concern and resistance to Eversource using Glyphosate along the right of ways... I think your efforts and voices are a bit misguided.
The amount of Glyphosate that Eversource will be using is nothing compared to the amount put down by home owners and landscape crews all over the island every spring, summer, and fall.
So if you have actual concerns over it getting into the waters and wildlife, then you need to take that energy to the Selectmen and get the chemical banned on the island.
Eversource with their targeted spraying once every four years is not your problem... All the local landscapers, garden centers, and shops that apply it, or sell it here are.
Hello Jeff, Appreciate your
Angela Andersen West TisburyHello Jeff, Appreciate your remarks and concerns. Very valid points. And maybe this could and should be addressed next. Let's work together with more home owners and landscape crews to, if not ban, but reduce the amount of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers.... being used around homes. We all can do our share.
There is a petition - here
Megan Ottens-Sargent AquinnahThere is a petition - here the link:
https://www.change.org/p/stop-eversource-from-spraying-herbicides-along…
And there is at least one garden center / landscape company that does not sell of use glyphosate - Middleton Nurseries.
Why not consider using goats
MV Dan VHWhy not consider using goats to manage the growth? This may not be practical near main roads but certainly is along the power lines parallel to Franklin St. in VH. May not be a complete solution but should be part of an overall strategy.
opposed to herbalization
Chris West Tisburyopposed to herbalization
Glyphosate such as Rodeo in
Dan2 Oak BluffsGlyphosate such as Rodeo in any high concentration in very toxic. It may be common but is deadly.
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