Anchorage Daily News - Alaska / March 2, 2007
State says no to herbicide use along Alaska Railroad’s tracks
DENIED: Water protection was reason; opponents cheer as managers look at options.
By ELIZABETH BLUEMINK
Anchorage Daily News
Published: March 2, 2007
Last Modified: March 2, 2007 at 02:25 AM
State environmental regulators this week rejected the Alaska Railroad Corp.'s controversial proposal to spray herbicides on about 500 miles of track and 100 miles of rail yard in Alaska.
It was a blow to the railroad but good news to people like Tom Kluberton, who lives 200 feet from the track.
Kluberton was worried the chemicals used to control weeds and shrubs along train tracks would leak into a spring in his yard and kill fish in nearby streams. He said he “clicked his heels” when he ran back to his Talkeetna home to tell his wife the state’s decision.
Full story here
I’ll bet that same state agency requires the railroad to control noxious weeds along it’s ROW…
I’ll also venture a bet that many of those same landowners who object to the use of herbicides by the railroad are themselves using Roundup and other herbicides on their property…
Here at the Port, we use a commercial version of Round Up…even managed to get myself sprayed last year…Asplund truck wasn’t paying attention, and turned on the spray truck while still up on the switching lead, about the same time I walked around the end of a boxcar…stuff left a coppery taste in my mouth, but no other ill effects…and from what I understand, it is not harmful to aquatic life.
So my gills are safe!
So, what options are they looking at, goats or sheep grazing the ROW?
So the trains will keep the grass and weeds between the rails cropped to 10 or so inches. But come August, they will die and dry out. Then any spark from wheels, brakes, electrical connections, etc may cause a grass fire. Now the NIMBYs will really have something to complain about.
By the way, the nice thing about Roundup and similar herbicides is that as soon as the spray hits the ground (or Ed) it immidiately is neutralized. Only if it is absorbed through plant leaves will it kill the plant. So Ed, as long as you are not powered by photosynthesis (sp?) you are OK.
dd
Overgrowth? Makes great cheeseburgers too…maybe we can get Hansel and Gretel on the payroll…
Well good, because I run mostly on coffee…
What’s wrong with spraying the main component of Agent Orange into the groundwater???
