Speaking out About Glyphosate

ANOTHER UPDATED UPDATE!! (13 November 2018) The glyphosate resolution is NOT on the agenda for the County Commission meeting this evening. We have beed advised that a public information effort of some sort is being developed around the issue.  The expectation is that it will be passed as strengthened at the last meeting.  GPAMA will stay vigilant regarding this resolution.

More people spoke about glyphosate at the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, October 23.  It looked like a first-step resolution was going to be adopted to look at ways to minimize glyphosate use, but individual commissioners wanted additional language that would strengthen the resolution.  In the end, the resolution was deferred to the next meeting (November 13th) with the intention of adopting a resolution that includes the immediate cessation of glyphosate application to public zones administered by Bernalillo County, an examination of alternatives to all County pesticide use, and provision of disposal options for unused glyphosate.  Grassroots!

UPDATE!  Bernalillo County will look at alternatives to glyphosate use.  We believe commissioners and county staff were moved to take action after hearing the information we presented.  Please contact the Bernalillo County Commision and encourage them to follow through with this.

GPAMA collected approximately 500 signatures calling for the end of glyphosate use in public zones in the four-county area.  We submitted an electronic copy of the signatures to Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller with this letter. We will present this request to the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners at the meeting on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, 5:00 p. m., Vincent E. Griego Chambers, One Civic Plaza, in downtown ABQ during Public Comment. Please add your comments at the meeting or on line. Here are some useful bits of information:

• Glyphosate has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the IARC based on sufficient evidence in animal studies and limited evidence in humans studies.

• A former groundskeeper who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma was awarded $289 million in California.  He had repeated exposure to glyphosate as part of his work duties.
  

• Glyphosate use has been linked to the decline in the monarch butterfly population. There is also evidence that glyphosate exposure affects the navigational ability of honeybees, potentially affecting foraging success, and a new study indicates that glyphosate alters the gut microbiome of honeybees with a subsequent increased risk of infection.  These may be contributing factors in colony decline.
  

• In 2017, Bernalillo County spent nearly $12,000 for ~730 gallons of glyphosate. Little League and soccer fields are regularly sprayed, as well as medians, parks (including dog), trails, and senior center grounds.

• If a chemical agent were needed as a last resort in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), several products approved for organic crop production are available.