PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners expect to take action on a controversial plan to use herbicides as one of several methods to control noxious weeds early next year.
Commissioner Mark Ozias suggested Monday that the board conduct another public hearing on a revised weed ordinance and integrated roadside weed management plan.
The ordinance and plan would permit spot spraying of such herbicides as Roundup to control invasive growing plants along county roads, parks, gravel pits and other property.
Commissioners took nearly three hours of testimony on the draft ordinance and weed management plan in an Oct. 18 hearing.
About one third of the speakers at the hearing raised environmental and health concerns about even limited spraying of herbicides.
Slight changes were made to the proposal based on testimony from the hearing, Noxious Weed Coordinator Cathy Lucero said.
”I like the idea of taking that back to the public as well and giving ourselves a chance to say we’ve listened,” Ozias said in a Monday work session.
“At the risk of further extending this, I guess I don’t see why we shouldn’t err on the side of caution and hold another public hearing so that we can vote and let Cathy move forward.”
Commissioners are expected to schedule the next hearing for January.
An earlier version of the weed ordinance drew a crowd of nearly 100 to a public hearing with split testimony in May 2015.
State law requires Clallam County to control stubborn noxious plants such as tansy ragwort, poison hemlock, butterfly bush, knotweed and scotch broom.
The spraying of herbicides, which are used sparingly by most jurisdictions, is not permitted on Clallam County’s 1,050-acre road right of way.
Other noxious weed controls include hand-pulling, mowing, introducing insects, hydroseeding and planting native species.
Mowing along county roads has been shown to spread noxious weeds, County Engineer Ross Tyler has said.
The new version of the draft ordinance contains a line that spells out a monitoring component.
Monitoring had been discussed internally as the intent of the ordinance but was not required in the prior draft, Ozias said.
“We thought that it would both be a good idea for our own purposes and hopefully help provide additional reassurances to the public that we’re taking this subject seriously and have specific plans to monitor and publish the results,” Ozias said, “What’s being done, where it’s being done, what the effectiveness has been, et cetera.”
Citizens will be able to access up-to-date information about where and when herbicides were used to control noxious weeds in the county, Lucero said.
If the plan is approved, property owners who do not want herbicides sprayed near their property could enter into an annual agreement with the county to take specific measures to control noxious weeds, according to the proposal.
Ozias and Lucero have met with Nash Huber, owner of Nash’s Organic Produce, and one of his managers to “make sure that we understood their position and concerns and perspective,” Ozias said.
County officials are also seeking a third-party review of the integrated weed management plan. The review was suggested by herbicide opponent Darlene Schanfald of Sequim. Schanfald, secretary and spokeswoman for the Sequim-based Olympic Environmental Council, described the county’s proposal as a “poison plan.”
Ozias said he reached out to two environmental groups that Schanfald recommended but had not heard back from either organization.
“My read is that reviewing the plan is not something that they’re interested in doing,” Ozias said.
Commissioner Mike Chapman said an independent review of the plan and a legal analysis of the county’s responsibility to control noxious weeds would be essential for the hearing.
“It takes a little bit of time, but it is overturning decades of county policy,” Chapman said.
Ozias said he would “double down” on his efforts to obtain a third-party review.
Commissioner Bill Peach described the proposal as a “very good product.”
He also expressed a concern about the county spending money it doesn’t have on an independent review.
“I don’t want this conversation to turn into an open door for a $50,000 contract next April,” Peach said.
Lucero suggested a review by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the state Department of Ecology.
Technical information about herbicides was placed into an appendix in the latest version of the draft, Ozias said.
“It’s more or less a formatting change,” Ozias said.
“The idea is that we want to do the best we can to ensure that the roadside plan communicates the intent.”
Lucero said there are new kinds of herbicides on the market that have a lower toxicity than previously-used brands.
“As soon as we get a lower toxicity one, we’re going to use it,” Lucero said.
County Administrator Jim Jones said he asked his counterparts around the state whether their jurisdictions prohibited herbicide spraying.
Of the roughly 20 county executives who replied, none said their county had a prohibition on herbicide spraying, Jones said.
Other noxious weed coordinators from around the state have reviewed Clallam County’s proposed weed plan, Ozias said.
“I think that we’ve done everything that we’re reasonably able to do to vet this plan as it stands,” Ozias said.
Chapman, a 16-year county commissioner who begins his first term as a state representative in early January, said the public hearing should be in January to avoid the holiday season and to allow commissioner-elect Randy Johnson to weigh in.
“You have a new commissioner,” Chapman said.
”Have him look at this as well. He has to live with it for four years. It is overturning over 30 years of county policy, and it should be out there once again so that the public has a chance to have it.”
Chapman cautioned his fellow commissioners that the board has never changed major policy in December.
“My biggest concern is I don’t want this to hang out there indefinitely,” Ozias said.
“I also don’t want to have it scheduled so close to a holiday that it’s going to be difficult for people.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
