Currently the City of Oak Harbor uses the common weed killer known as Round Up throughout the community to control weeds. Spraying of city park and recreation areas as well as city streets and sidewalks are all targeted for spray. Round Up is a known carcinogen and a registered antibiotic. Recently a court case in San Francisco found Monsanto, the manufacturer of Round Up, guilty of malice. They have been hiding the true dangers of Round Up and it's active ingredient glyphosate for years. The court case proved that not only did Monsanto know the risks and dangers of their chemical, but they actively hid the truth. They have been ordered to pay DeWayne Johnson, a 46 year old man with terminal Non-Hodgkins Lyphoma, $298 million dollars. Mr. Johnson was a groundskeeper at a school district in California for years and used Round Up regularly for weed control. He was one of over 4,000 people trying to take Monsanto to court. In order to avoid more innocent lives being lost to cancer and other illness because of this toxic chemical, I am suggesting that our city stop spraying Round Up now and instead consider safe alternatives such as vinegar based solutions and mulching. There is obviously no comparison between a few weeds, and human lives. I think it's time to take action and protect our community, our children and even pets from this carcinogenic toxic chemical.
