
Clay Township Michigan residents vote against a broad-spectrum weed killer as part of a scheduled herbicide treatment.
The spray of concern was glyphosate, which is a systemic herbicide used to kill weeds that absorbs into an unwanted plant, right down to its roots.
Clay Township Supervisor Artie Bryson said the majority of attendees of the herbicide public hearing said “no” to the quarterly applications, even though every agency in the county, state and nation assured him they do no harm.
“Personally, I’m not going to guarantee it’s safe,” he said. “About 30 years ago they said DDT was safe and then they said it wasn’t. Agent Orange was also considered safe at one time.”
Bea Zrepskey, secretary to the Colony Park Association Board, was adamantly opposed to the treatments.
“Children swim in these canals,” she said. “People water their lawns and gardens with water pumped from the canal. Water can collect in puddles from sprinkling the lawn and pets and other wildlife can drink the treated water.”
In her extensive research, she said she has found that herbicides are cumulative in the human body. In most cases, she said, it is a long time later before cancer and other diseases occur from the accumulation of chemicals and heavy metals.