Politics
CLOPYRALID AND COMPOSTING
By Gary S. Howell
Jul 19, 2003, 13:04

Clopyralid is a registered "General Use" herbicide manufactured by Dow Chemical. It is sold under product names like "Stingerİ", "Reclaimİ", "Translineİ", "Confrontİ", "Grazonİ", "Tordonİ", "Millenniumİ" and others. The herbicide is used to control brush and weed species. In regular use, the product spray should not be allowed to drift because it will kill non-targeted plants. It should not be applied to the banks or bottoms of irrigation ditches. It should not be used on permeable soils. It will contaminate irrigation and domestic water sources. Clopyralid tainted soil must not be moved. Users should avoid situations where treated soil particles may blow into other areas. (Information gathered from: Clopyralid methyl Pesticide Fact Sheet, Prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture)

The United States Composting Council - ( www.compostingcouncil.org ) - believes that "the existing system governing Clopyralid treated residues does not sufficiently protect compost producers and users". The problem according to Allan Watts - ( http://www.epa.gov/jtr/netshare/clop.htm ) - is that, "...unlike other herbicides, (Clopyralid) is not degraded in the composting process."

"Plant residues treated with these products have carried clopyralid into municipal composting systems, leading to unacceptably high concentrations of clopyralid in the resulting compost. In some cases, the levels have been high enough to cause damage to crops grown by users of the compost." "...While research did show reductions in the concentrations, the residual levels remaining in the compost at the end of research trial (365 days) would significantly damage non-targeted plants. It did not show levels of remediation that could be consistently safe..." (Sego Jackson - http://www.epa.gov/jtr/netshare/clop.htm )

"For the second year in a row, the persistent herbicide clopyralid has contaminated compost at two composting facilities in the U.S. state of Washington..." "...plants treated with Confrontİ have contaminated compost at local composting facilities with levels of clopyralid high enough to cause damage to compost users' crops, including those at local gardens and nurseries..." "...Clopyralid contamination has prevented the Spokane Regional Composting Facility...from selling compost to the general public - loss of revenue, settling claims, testing and additional labor due to clopyralid contamination has cost the facility about $250,000 over the past two years" (Pesticide Action Network of North America http://www.panna.org/resources/panups/panup_20011211.dv.html )

(To find out about problems at Washington State University regarding clopyralid tainted compost, visit http://css.wsu.edu/compost/compost.htm )


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Please remember that I support composting and I believe in mankind's ability to solve environmental problems. But these problems have to be recognized before they can be solved.

Go to the DEC: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Home Page

Click on the Search button:

Type in: Clopyralid

One response is listed - Appendix F, United States Geological Survey (USGS) Analytical lists.

Now, go to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) website: Environmental Protection Agency

In their search box type: Clopyralid

You will be given 14 responses.


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Is clopyralid used in Western New York. Yes.

Did you know that most stores will not allow you to take pictures inside them? I went to two large retail outlets. Managers from both the stores politely asked me not to take pictures.

Both the stores sold products containing clopyralid. I visited four other stores, they also sold clopyralid based products.


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Clopyralid is a chemical that does not break down fast. If non-targeted plants are exposed to it, they are damaged. Runoff from Clopyralid leaches into our drinking water sources. While clopyralid is not classified as a carcinogen, teratogen, mutagen, or reproductive inhibitor - because it is a relatively new product - it's long-term effects are unknown.

Water and air borne clopyralid can kill non-targeted plants.

In the United States, New Zeeland, and other locations, compost containing clopyralid has destroyed food crops, feed crops, and nursery plants.


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So why is it that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) seems to be unaware of this problem? Testing for clopyralid is not required. Preventative measures are not outlined in the DEC regulations.

It must be remembered that the DEC is in such a rush to reduce land fill volume that the clopyralid problem isn't the only one they are ignoring.

While researching these issues, I discovered another factor. New York City is creating more garbage than can be handled by their facilities. The solution - ship the material to sparsely populated areas downstate. Our county government seems to favor this idea.

This information will be discussed in the future. Stay tuned.



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