Assembly to draft herbicide ordinance

In last week’s regular Assembly meeting, members decided to draft an ordinance to address herbicide spraying in the Borough. This represents the next step in a more than year-long process addressing potential herbicide spraying by the state and the lack of opportunity for public input on the issue.

The issue has been ongoing since March 2013 when the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) changed their regulations regarding herbicide use. Under the new regulations, agencies seeking to apply herbicides are required to draft an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPMP) that outlines...