Amanda Waldroupe reports for UPI
Oregon might restrict use of aminocyclopyrachlor, or ACP, after the chemical was blamed for the slow death of almost 2,000 ponderosa pine trees that were more than a century old. Amanda Waldroupe/UPI
March 18 (UPI) — Oregon could become the first state to strictly limit the use of the herbicide aminocyclopyrachlor, or ACP, after the chemical was blamed for the slow death of almost 2,000 ponderosa pine trees that were more than a century old.
“It’s showing that this chemical is inherently dangerous and should not be on the market … if it is going to cause such damage to trees,” said Drew Toher, the policy director of Beyond Pesticides, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental organization.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has proposed a new rule, to take effect March 25, that would prohibit spraying ACP along rights of way and in natural and restoration areas, protected sage grouse habitat and wetlands.
Spraying areas where tree roots may be present also would be prohibited, along with aerial spraying.
In one exception, ACP could be sprayed once a year to control invasive weeds, and only in “spot treatments” no bigger than 9 square feet, or 5 percent of an acre.
Commonly sprayed alongside roads to control weeds and vegetation, ACP is found in several pesticides regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is not commercially available and applicators must have a state-issued license.
The EPA banned ACP use in residential areas after Imprelis, which contains the chemical, was shown to damage or kill shrubs and trees, including Norway Spruce, when it was used on golf courses, lawns and sod farms.
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