Under the Lens by Elise Hugus

Under the Lens by Elise Hugus

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Posts Tagged ‘Herbicides’

Residents saying ‘nay to the spray’

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Power lines and trees cohabit at the Salt Pond Areas nature preserve off the bikepath

Across the Cape, residents are saying “nay to the spray.”

Since last spring, when the electric utility company NStar agreed to a yearlong moratorium on spraying herbicides under Cape Cod power lines, citizens have been quietly preparing to make that moratorium permanent.

Over the last month, boards of selectmen in nine towns from Wellfleet to Barnstable adopted a nonbinding resolution, drafted by the Eastham town administrator, calling on NStar to use chemical-free methods of controlling vegetation under public rights-of-way.

Now, Upper Cape selectmen are being asked to join the resolution, as part of an initiative coordinated by Green Cape Alliance for Pesticide Education (CAPE), a nonprofit group based in Barnstable. (more…)

Not in my backyard

Friday, April 9th, 2010

“Not-in-my-backyard” is the battle cry most often heard from people who want to prevent unsightly projects from appearing in their neighborhoods. Be it an issue of wind turbines, affordable housing, or a noisy bar– we’ve all had a brush with NIMBY in our lives. But what happens when we share a mutual backyard?

The NStar herbicide program to clear vegetation under transmission lines has brought a hidden expense behind our power supply to the fore. Chemicals are being sprayed– literally– in our backyards, from Bourne to Falmouth to Eastham. Towns are scrambling to complete GIS mapping of drinking water supplies and sensitive habitat in areas under these public rights-of-way– but time is running out.

Mutterings of discontent about NStar’s herbicide program erupted into a roar loud enough to reach US Rep. Delahunt in late March. But will NStar listen?

(more…)

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