[GreenYes] Wash. State moves to limit potent herbicide

["Bill Sheehan" <zerowaste@grrn.org>]

Seattle Times  (excerpt)
January 25, 2002

STATE MOVES TO LIMIT POTENT HERBICIDE
By Lynda V. Mapes

State regulators took a first step yesterday toward restricting use of a
potent herbicide that is tainting compost and killing plants.

Draft rules issued for discussion — and which could still change — would ban
the use of herbicides containing the ingredient clopyralid on residential
and commercial lawns.
Clopyralid products still could be used on golf courses if the clippings,
leaves or other vegetation were not removed from the site and placed in
municipal or commercial compost facilities.

Applicators treating golf courses with pesticides with the ingredient
clopyralid also would be required to notify groundskeeping personnel in
writing that no grass clippings, leaves or other vegetation could be removed
and placed in municipal or commercial compost facilities.

Regulators also proposed restricting distribution of clopyralid products
labeled for use on lawns or turf to licensed pesticide dealers only, for use
only by certified applicators.
Licensed pesticide dealers could sell clopyralid products to noncertified
applicators for other uses, as long as the purchaser signed an invoice or
sales slip indicating the chemical would not be applied to lawns or turf
other than golf courses.

The draft rules were issued by the state Department of Agriculture, which
hopes to adopt final, emergency rules by April 1, the approximate start of
the growing season.
Compost manufacturers, solid-waste managers and some farmers and gardeners
have asked the department to restrict or ban use of the chemical to keep it
out of compost.
But lawn-care companies, farmers, foresters and other users of the herbicide
have argued against restrictions, claiming it would force them to use even
more, less effective chemicals.

Full story at
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/displ
ay?slug=compost25m&date=20020125&query=mapes

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