Williams, Or. — Residents in Williams are upset over the recent annual spraying of herbicides and pesticides on Tuesday.
Josephine County says it’s sprays this area every year to kill weeds along local roadways, but residents say the impacts are felt far beyond simple weeds.
“It’s standard practice on all of our roads, except for the southern area of Williams, which has been part of a gentleman’s agreement to not spray for 20 years now,” said Josephine County Public works director Rob Brandis.
But last year, several residentsincluding Carol Heywood asked the county not to spray, offering to take care of the weeds themselves.
And while they hadn’t come to an official agreement, they had asked for a warning before the county sprayed this year.
But that warning call never came.
“We were very disappointed and dismayed. We know they are not the bad guys, and they are doing things how they’ve always done it,” said Heywood.
Unless residents fill out an application and display a sign saying they’ll maintain the roadway, it’s the county’s responsibility.
They are inaccordance with the Oregon Fepartment of Agriculture, andU.S.D.A. guidelines. Brandis says theyexceed the application perimeters.
But Heywood says the pesticides threaten their livelihood sincemany have organic farms in the area.
Now residents are moving forward with an initiative to ban the country from spraying in Williams.
The initiative is only in the very early stages of being started, but organizers say the hope to have it on the November ballot.
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