School districts look for Roundup alternatives

Product effective, but some have safety concerns

San Jose school officials say they are looking at alternatives to weed abatement chemicals used on school grounds as experts grapple with differing opinions on safety.

Mary Ann Meisenbach, facilities and maintenance supervisor for the Union Elementary School District, said the district tries to apply the spray during holidays or weekends so there is a “time lapse.” But the school district is also exploring other methods.

“We’re looking at alternative methods” to herbicide, Meisenbach said, adding that she would soon be attending a training that gives insight into other weed abatement tools, like burning. Though, with a small facilities staff, she said, Roundup has been on of the most efficient methods to keep weeds at bay.

Cecilia Holmberg, a parent in the Union Elementary School District, said she feels changes can’t come soon enough, and she’s glad that more people are looking into possible adverse effects of popular herbicides.

Holmberg said she is aware that schools are using products that are approved by state agencies, but she would “like to see them stop using toxic substances around kids” altogether.

“It’s easy for schools to say ‘ the label says it’s safe,’ ” she said. “Maybe they don’t realize the kids might play with those weeds. ( Children) pick the burrs, they look for bugs.”

District officials say that at least 24- hour notice is given and that parents can also register to be personally notified 72 hours in advance, all within accordance of the California Healthy Schools Act of 2000 which aims to limit exposure by requiring use of the least toxic techniques of pest and weed control when possible.

Holmberg, who has been a vocal opponent of herbicide use, contacted this newspaper after filing a complaint with the district for what she believes was inadequate notification prior to a spray of glyphosate, a chemical found in the weed killer Roundup. She said that signs were posted, but they were small and hard to see.

As part of the California Healthy Schools Act, school districts are required to give annual notice to parents about which herbicides and pesticides will be used, post notification at least 24 hours before application and to keep records on site.

San Jose Unified School District posts notice of pesticide and herbicide application at least 72 hours in advance and 96 hours prior to application at preschool and kindergarten sites, according to the district’s policy handbook. Parents also have the opportunity to be directly notified in advance.

Jorge Quintana, spokesman for SJUSD, said the district has already implemented practices that reduce the need for herbicide, such as partnering with companies that donate mulch.

“It’s a mutually beneficial relationship as these partner companies save money in disposal fees and we’re able to reduce chemical applications on school grounds by spreading the donated material,” he wrote in an email. “This practice provides weed barrier and moisture retention. It reduces the use of weed prevention chemicals and also contributes to water preservation.”

January marked an expansion of Healthy Schools Act requirements including a mandate that any school employee using pesticides or herbicides at a school site must report the date of application, what was used and how much to the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation.

Glyphosate has been deemed Class E by the Environmental Protection Agency, meaning it is not considered a human carcinogen, and is not on California’s Proposition 65 list of carcinogenic substances.

However, glyphosate made international headlines in recent weeks as a group of experts changed course, calling the herbicide “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

The determination, released in March, was made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, following a yearlong examination of data from peer- reviewed studies.

The examination of data found “limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of glyphosate” and pointed to evidence of cancer in exposed mice but mentions studies that found the chemical in blood and urine of agricultural workers, indicating absorption when used at high levels.

The chemical is found in more than 750 products used for agriculture, forestry, urban and home applications, according to the IARC report.

Charlotte Fadipe, spokeswoman of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, which directs state guidelines for school pesticide and herbicide use, said the department hasn’t seen “sufficient evidence” that would warrant the prohibition of Roundup on campuses.

“But our scientists are reviewing data to see where they came to those conclusions,” Fadipe said.