Bringing information you can use for action about herbicides, pesticides and other toxic chemicals in northern California and around our shared world
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ALERT: PG&E Spraying Herbicides Throughout California
Despite the successful campaign by residents of rural Humboldt County to
convince PG&E to stop spraying herbicides around power poles, the giant
utility still is drenching about a million of the poles with a variety of
chemicals elsewhere in its service area. [link]
Defying Court Ruling, State Parks Aims Hazardous Sprays at Coastal Wildlands
Despite being trounced by CATs in the Court of Appeal for a similar project, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) is trying to slip another terrible herbicide spray plan past the public — adding to the mounting evidence that the agency considers itself above state law. [link]
Herbicides proposed at Shasta Lake
A Forest Service proposal to use herbicides to kill invasive broom plants in Whiskeytown Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area is counterproductive and shortsighted as it unnecessarily adds chemicals to public lands. Californians for Alternatives to Toxics (CATs) urges the Forest Service to utilize a non-chemical approach only for invasive plant management to protect native vegetation and create habitat for wildlife. [link]
Herbicide Spraying for Purple Loosestrife Along Eel River Prompts Lawsuit
Spraying the herbicide imazapyr along the banks of the Eel River to kill purple loosestrife "will fail" and have "significant environmental effects", declare experts in court filing. [link]
PG&E Spray Alert - PG&E Prefers Poisons On Power Poles
PG&E, the state’s largest owner of utility poles and right-of-ways, is applying herbicides to reduce fire risk even though weed removal with string trimmers has proven effective. [link]
Pentachlorophenol: A History of Neglect
In the 1950s, hundreds of lumber mills throughout northern California used the wood preservative pentachlorophenol, known as penta or PCP, with little regard for health and environmental consequences. [link]
CATs Comments on the Marina Center Draft Environmental Impact Report
"Californians for Alternatives to Toxics requests that the City of Eureka require that this draft be rewritten to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act." [416 kb pdf file]
Timber Company Agrees to Clean Up Cancer-Causing Dioxin
The Simpson Timber Company, in a settlement with CATs and Humboldt Baykeeper, agrees to remove tons of sediment laden with dioxin from a ditch that empties into Humboldt Bay. [link]
Humboldt Bay's 303d Listing as Dioxin-Contaminated Endorsed by CATs
"We believe the information presented above is sufficient to support a 303(d) listing of Humboldt Bay for dioxin impairment due to the overwhelming evidence that reservoir sources of dioxin are contributing CDDs and CDFs to Humboldt Bay". [link]
CATs Joins Lawsuit Filed Against the US EPA for Deregulating Pesticide Spraying into the Nation's Waters
Today, environmental groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a decision that spraying of pesticides into the nation's waters should no longer be regulated by the Clean Water Act. [link]
Red-Legged Frog Settlement
The use of 66 pesticides will be prohibited in core habitat areas of the endangered California red-legged frog until the EPA and the Fish and Wildlife Service formally consult to ensure the chemicals are not contributing to the decline of the species. The agreement between EPA and the Center for Biological Diversity was built on an extensive investigation by Californians for Alternatives to Toxics of pesticide use in red-legged frog habitat. [link]
Important Precedent Set as Court of Appeal Upholds California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in CATs vs California Dept. of Food and Agriculture
Appeal Court Rejects Winegrape Pest Plan - Court Guns Down State Plan to Poison Pest of Wine Grapes: Panel Requires Thorough Analysis of Spraying of Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter [link]
State Drops Plans to Poison Sierra Stream
CATs' Complaint Helps Convince Judge - Preliminary Injunction Issued on Silver King Creek Rotenone Project [link]
