Roadside Spraying - Take Action!

Did you know that driving on our state highways can expose you to pesticides? 
Here's your chance to make our highways safe!

Please write to the Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT by May 9^th to urge their support (and funding) for more “no-spray” highways.  Contact information below.

The Oregon Department of Transportation and many counties routinely spray the sides of highways, roads, streets and right-of-ways with toxic herbicides throughout the spring and summer.  Many of these chemicals are known or suspected carcinogens and also harm our internal hormone systems.  When you drive, bike or walk on these roads, you can be exposed to pesticides from soil contamination, eating sprayed wild berries, and drifting vapors.  Some herbicides are toxic to aquatic plants, fish and other organisms, so any application near ditches or streams behind guardrails can harm environment and contaminate our water.      

In February, Oregon Toxics Alliance and Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson met with the Director of Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to request that state highways in Lane County become an herbicide-free pilot project.  We are pleased to report that, as a result of that meeting, the Oregon Transportation Commission is considering a proposal from ODOT to implement a pilot project on some state highways that would significantly reduce the amount of herbicide sprayed by applying the “Last Resort” policy.  The “Last Resort” policy prohibits the routine and seasonal use of herbicides to kill unwanted vegetation along roadsides.   It is a strategy for getting rid of weeds with a much safer policy of regular monitoring of road conditions, mechanical removal (e.g., mowing, scrapping), planting competing native species such as wildflowers, and scientifically determining if a “need” exists for chemicals before using them.  Specifically, the proposed project would also expand the ODOT no-spray pilot project from Florence to Lincoln City along on Hwy 101.  

This is a unique opportunity to ask ODOT to pursue safe, non-toxic alternatives to herbicide spray on roads and to adopt a policy that changes their default “herbicides always” policy to the safer “herbicides as a Last Resort” policy.

Please write to the Oregon Transportation Commission and ODOT to urge their support (and funding) for more “no-spray” highways.  Working with ODOT to further develop the “Last Resort” policy on Oregon’s roads will serve to protect residents, our streams, and flora and fauna from unnecessary herbicide exposures.

Please direct letters to: