Anne Arundel suspends spraying parks with herbicide amid public complaints
Anne Arundel County has stopped its spraying of invasive plants after receiving two complaints that people were sprayed with a herbicide while visiting county parks last weekend.
All flights spraying county areas for phragmites have been grounded as the county investigates the incidents, said Owen McEvoy, spokesman for County Executive Steve Schuh. The county had contracted with Patriot Land and Wildlife Management Services, which had subcontracted pilots for the work.
Phragmites is an invasive plant that has to be treated with a herbicide to prevent it from damaging grasses and other plants, county officials said.
The first complaint was made Friday by two people walking through Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Lothian. The second complaint was submitted to the county Monday by a woman in a boat on Rock Creek near Weinberg Park in Pasadena when she said she was sprayed Friday as well. Officials say Weinberg Park was scheduled to be sprayed, while Jug Bay was not.
The preliminary investigation concluded the contractor did not follow safety guidelines, McEvoy said. Those safety guidelines include spraying in only specified locations and doing an initial flight over the land to check for people. The county closes publicaccess areas before sprays, he said.
“We are not doing any more spraying until they provide a detailed explanation on what they are doing and why,” McEvoy said.
No one from the Dickerson-based company returned a request for comment.
Pasadena resident Kelly Hunt sad she was on a boat on Rock Creek when a helicopter flying low to the ground sprayed the shoreline Friday. The wind carried the herbicide to her, Hunt said.
On Friday, wildlife photographer Donna Cole was with a friend in Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary when she said a helicopter sprayed the herbicide Aquaneat on the area. The spray hit Cole and her friend, who tweeted about the incident. Cole posted videos and photos of the helicopter in the area.
A safety data sheet on Aquaneat says it doesn’t pose health hazards, but it recommends that the product be washed off clothes and to watch for irritated skin. It may also cause mild eye irritation, according to the safety data. George’s County Police said. Pugh was one of six people taken to hospitals after the afternoon crash on Oct. 24. Police say the driver of a car heading southbound on Old Crain Highway in Upper Marlboro tried to make a left turn onto Marlboro Pike. The driver lost control of the vehicle and struck the side of Babes Boys Tavern. The crash remains under investigation.