A Pictorial Essay of the Poisoning of the Sensitive Coastal Habitat Next to OB’s Dog Beach
On Wednesday, July 3 – the day before the big 4th holiday – Scott Mac Laggan, a local concerned citizen and photographer, visited the sensitive coastal habitat area right next to OB’s Dog Park.
What he found – and photographed – was very disturbing. He found a crew from contractor, Diversified Landscape, using Round Up dabbers on plants in an area frequented by families, dogs and wildlife. Obviously, the crew had been hired by the City of San Diego.
Why would the City of San Diego allow Round Up dabbers to be used prior to July 4, when the park was going to be packed with tourists, dogs and our families?
The contractor, Diversified Landscape, has been approved to use herbicide to eradicate invasive weeds such as the European sea lavender.
Scott Mac Laggan, asked the parks department,
“Why is a confirmed carcinogen herbicide allowed to pool in an open wheelbarrow in a public park, leaving a trail along the path where people, dogs and other creatures travel?
Shouldn’t there be better control of and care taken with the use of this? Should it be used in a public park at all?”
On July 3, 2019 Scott Mac Laggan took the photos of what he saw at Ocean Beach Dog Beach; he combined them with photos he had taken of the area on other days to present the following:
Egret
Fifth graders
Moms on the run
Kids. Taken July 11, 2019
“Share in the Vision of a ………”
Restoration in process. Photo taken Jan. 11, 2019
More restoration work. Photo taken in Feb. 2019
On July 3, the Round Up Dabbers showed up.
Blue dabs of poison left by crew to be enjoyed by you, your family, dogs, other people’s kids, tourists, and oh, by the wildlife.
If you haven’t already, sign the Non Toxic San Diego Petition. Please write to our elected officials. Thank you! Here is a sample message:
We are asking you to adapt an organic Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
We are asking you to require the contractor(s) at parks to abide by the law as provided by the federal government and not permit the public in the areas that are being treated/sprayed.
We are asking you require that contractor(s) at city parks provide an “Intent of Use” sign to be posted 3 days prior to spraying in parks to provide the community the choice of avoiding the area, or not.
Thank you,
greg.cox@sdcounty.ca.gov, dianne.jacob@sdcounty.ca.gov, kristin.gaspar@sdcounty.ca.gov, Nathan.Fletcher@sdcounty.ca.gov, Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov, rcastellanos@portofsandiego.org, rvalderrama@portofsandiego.org, amoore@portofsandiego.org, dmalcolm@portofsandiego.org, mzucchet@portofsandiego.org, mmerrifield@portofsandiego.org, Councilmember Barbara Bry <barbarabry@sandiego.gov>, jennifercampbell@sandiego.gov, “Saltzman, Miller” <mjsaltzman@sandiego.gov>, “Kennedy, Seamus” <skennedy@sandiego.gov>, Councilmember Christopher Ward <christopherward@sandiego.gov>, monicamontgomery@sandiego.gov, markkersey@sandiego.gov, ChrisCate@sandiego.gov, scottsherman@sandiego.gov, vivianmoreno@sandiego.gov, georgettegomez@sandiego.gov, “Faulconer, Mayor Kevin” <kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov>
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I have to ask: Where is Doctor Jen Campbell? Why isn’t she making public pronouncements that she’ll get rid of the poison?
I’m so disgusted. We need to confront these contractor crews (not personally) and we may need to physically block any more RoundUp use. I’m down for that.
Could the OBRag organize a blockade against RoundUp?
Uhh, not sure; we could certainly help to get the word out if someone else organized it.
I’ve made several comments in previous posts about companies like Monsanto, Dow, Dupont and Bayer. And have also previously posted on the corruption of the EPA and its role in the perpetuation of the use of glyphosate and neonicotinoid poisons. Its a wearying and depressing alarm bell.
So, instead, to switch it up, let me suggest that our readers check out Maja Lunde’s novel The History of Bees (its a novel, folks, not a dry compendium), which is a stark projection and perspective on our world without pollinators. Picture this: the year 2007, when CCD (colony collapse disorder) globally affects the bee pollination industry. Picture this: the year 2058. Every fruit tree in the world literally hand-pollinated by thousands of workers whose only job is to climb into fruit trees and hand pollinate every single flower… (uh, and remind me which “American citizens” would have these jobs?)
If you can’t get the scope of this, you’re really missing the big picture. No offense meant, but its not just about walking your dogs or children in green spaces….its global food supply.
I would extend the right red circle even more up river. I’ve seen evidence of it all the way past the “end” of the trails.
Im all for ridding invasive species when it makes sense but I fail to see any benefit here. All this has done is create potential harmful exposure to humans and animals and rid the dunes of erosion control
not to mention pollinating insects…
And in case anyone had any residual faith in the EPA, here’s yet another stunning decision…apparently we’ll now have to wait for that first lawsuit brought by someone whose life is damaged by EPA negligence…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/epa-not-ban-chlorpyrifos-213216763.html
Sad! A blurb from the link above:
The EPA under the Obama administration was taking steps to ban the pesticide in 2015. But in March 2017 President Donald Trump’s first EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, denied a petition that sought to prohibit chlorpyrifos. It was an early move intended to further Trump’s deregulatory agenda.
Thank you again for continuing to communicate with our community while we work to phase out the use or herbicides and pesticides in our beaches, parks, schools and open spaces.
I would like to invite you all to a Non Toxic San Diego Rally where we will discuss spray reports, what we consider violations by the city and contractors regarding spray practices, and most importantly what we can do as a COMMUNITY to encourage the City of San Diego to become Toxic Free, like 24 other cities in California!! Protecting our beaches, watershed, parks and open spaces from know carcinogenic herbicides is our goal. The health of our children, grandchildren and fur babies demands we act now.
Non Toxic San Diego Rally
Linda Vista Library @ 2160 Ulric St, San Diego, California 92111
August 27, 2019
6:00 – 7:00 pm
Please mark your calendar! See you there. – Anne