Toxin Dispute Pauses Herbicide Spraying In Hatboro

HATBORO, PA —With residents complaining about a toxin used for herbicide spraying to take place shortly at the Pennypack property, the Borough Council moved to pause the project until further research could be conducted.

About a half dozen residents spoke out at Monday night's council meeting about how the use of Aqua Neat could be harmful to residents who walk near the former Spring Avenue school or that the herbicide could soak into the soil and find its way into streams and possibly drinking water.

"I'm not comfortable with this," Councilwoman Nicole Shay said. "I don't like when I get a pit in my stomach. I don't want to be attached to anything that could cause someone harm down the road."

Council President George Bollendorf polled council members and Mayor Tim Schultz before instructing Borough Manager Diane Hegele to pause the spraying for further research.

"This is a unique situation," he said.

Hegele said the matter will go on the borough's Environmental Advisory Committee agenda for its Oct. 2 meeting so the board can do research and make a recommendation to the council.

The herbicide spraying was expected to take place within the next two weeks in accordance with a $22,000 grant the borough received for a DCNR Meadow Project.

Earlier this year, Hatboro partnered with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to begin lawn-to-meadow and lawn-to-forestry projects in multiple areas of the borough.

Councilman Alex Myers said the spraying using Aqua Net —which uses the primary active ingredient of Glyphosate, N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, in the form of its isopropylamine salt —was approved as safe by the DCNR, Montgomery County, and the borough's insurer.

The first area selected for meadow conversion by DCNR is the grassy area of 147 Spring Ave. at the Pennypack Property (also known as the 7 buildable lots). The herbicide would eliminate the existing grass in the area in order to prepare the land for the planting of the managed meadow.

This herbicide is very low in toxicity and is an aquatic-rated herbicide and has been tested for safety on organisms including fish, macroinvertebrates, birds, honeybees, etc.) This herbicide will be diluted to 2 percent to 5 percent prior to spraying in the area and will be sprayed by a fully licensed PA Pesticide (Herbicide) Applicator.

But that wasn't enough to satisfy residents worried about safety and why the borough hadn't considered that a vinegar solution wasn't considered. Some also said that the matter never came before the EAC for consideration.

"I'm against the use of toxins," said one resident, a former EAC member.

Myers said the borough might lose the grant if it backs away from the spraying, which was expected to take about an hour to complete.

Bollendorf said he wasn't worried about the borough losing the money.

"I have four council people who are uncomfortable with this," he said.

"Let's give it more time," Councilwoman Amanda Jacobus said. "This should be about safety."