The council will continue to trial althernative weed-killing treatments
Trials of weed-killing methods will continue to be carried out
Council workers will continue to trial alternative weed-killing treatments in their efforts to phase out use of glyphosate.
Glyphosate is the active chemical in most popular herbicides and pesticides, such as Roundup, but its use has become controversial in recent decades, as it has been linked as a cause of cancer.
South Dublin County Council have stated that trials of weed-killing methods “will continue to be carried out” to find a suitable alternative but that glyphosate would still need to be used for certain “alien invasive species”.
In response to a question from Cllr Francis Timmons (Ind) at a full council meeting on Monday, June 9, SDCC director of Environment, Water and Climate Change, Teresa Walsh said that glyphosate-based herbicides are currently used by the council’s Public Realm Operations Section “primarily on high profile entrance roads into the county and in the provision of the road sweeping services contract for the control of weeds on hard surface areas”.
Elected members voted on a partial ban on the use of glyphosate by council workers in 2017, which remains in place for public parks, gardens and play spaces.
Ms Walsh stated that in these types of areas, council workers manage weed growth through “hand removal, strimming, mowing or by allowing vegetation to grow to promote biodiversity”.
“The Council has now entered into a new contract for road sweeping services including weed control and this is the single largest user of herbicide in the council’s maintenance operations,” she continued.
“A requirement has been included in the new contract for a 10% reduction annually in the use of glyphosate-based herbicide through the control of weeds by alternative environmentally friendly means and this will reduce the council’s use of glyphosate by half over the life of the contract.
“The complete removal of glyphosate from the Council’s maintenance operation will not be possible as it is the only effective means of controlling certain alien invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed.”
Ms Walsh also highlighted alternative weed control methods that had been trialed by council workers, but ultimately were “not proven viable”, such as hot foam, hot water treatments and “’electro-physical’ destruction of weeds”.
“Further trials will continue to be carried out until such time as a range of alternative treatment methods have been identified as suitable in the varying types of locations that the Council maintains.
“The complete removal of glyphosate from the Council’s maintenance operation will not be possible as it is the only effective means of controlling certain alien invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed,” she added.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
