Commentary: O.C. cities should stop spraying Roundup in public parks and green spaces

In the coming months, you might begin noticing unsettling new signs in your favorite outdoor spots, warning that the turf has been sprayed with a weed-control chemical linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (“California lists Roundup ingredient as a chemical linked to cancer; Monsanto vows to fight,” Los Angeles Times, June 27).

The chemical — glyphosate, found in Monsanto’s popular Roundup product — was listed by the state of California in July as a known carcinogen, thus requiring notices to be posted where it is sprayed. It is time for cities to stop using the chemical.

Several cities, like Irvine and most recently San Juan Capistrano and Burbank, have already ended their dependence on toxic pesticides and have transitioned to integrated pest management programs, or IPMs.

In other cities, however, penny-wise but pound-foolish leaders may be vexed by the possibility of increased costs in transitioning to an IPM. The costs of not transitioning are potentially deadly. Think Ford’s cost/benefit analysis of its exploding Pinto gas tanks, or Michigan’s similarly short-sighted — and cruel — decision in Flint to save costs instead of lives.

But even ignoring the indefensibility of saving landscaping costs on the backs of children’s health, the status quo is actually less sound than adopting an IPM. Under California’s Tort Claims Act, cities face the same liability as private entities when it comes to pesticides.

Santa Monica has been non-toxic for nearly two decades, and has reported an up to 30% cost reduction for pest management. Cost savings are temporary and small, while long-term health and legal liabilities loom large.

In May, the Huntington Beach City Council unanimously approved a non-toxic pilot program in part of Central Park. Huntington Beach staff has indicated so far it is seeing the same results as Irvine’s successful program that recently finished its first year.

Soils that have been damaged by long-term chemical treatment, of course, will need to be restored. But the city will enjoy healthier, less compacted and more absorbent soils as a result, with improved plant life and less water runoff.

More than 300 residents of Huntington Beach have signed a petition asking the City Council to approve an IPM. The council can rest easy about the transition costs: the city enjoys an increase of $14.5 million in its 2017-18 budget and ran a surplus earlier this year.

Flush with tourism dollars, next year’s budget proposes more quality-of-life spending, including funding for $450,000 to landscapers and to recreation instructors at the new senior center.

Worthy spending items, no doubt, but worthier than ending the city’s practice of knowingly exposing its residents to a potentially toxic weed chemical? Do tell.

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Southland cities should observe it by directing their staffs to develop non-toxic IPMs and reduce our exposure to harmful and unnecessary chemicals. Our children, and all of us, deserve better than a bunch of ghastly warning signs.

TIMOTHY M. KOWAL is a shareholder in Thomas Vogele & Associates, APC, in Costa Mesa.