Concerns raised over alleged pesticide spraying in Waterford public park
The Council at work on Wednesday, October 22, at Walton Park, Dungarvan.
A number of locals in Dungarvan have raised concerns over alleged spraying of pesticides in Walton Park.
Waterford City and County Council staff members were photographed wearing protective clothing and masks while spraying something on the grass.
One woman told the Waterford News & Star that there was a smell of chemicals that lasted for several hours in the park.
She said when she returned to the park a few days later, the grass had turned yellow.
One person wrote a comment on a Facebook post about the alleged spraying, saying, “We are programmed to believe that burnt dead grass sprayed with toxic weed killers is 'greener and nicer to look at' than daisies or dandelions.”
Last month, News & Star reporter Shannon Sweeney reported that at the September Dungarvan-Lismore district council meeting, the Director of Roads at Waterford City and County Council said that "biodiversity is here to stay".
He said, “We are leaving areas on verges now and we are leaving the grass grow.
“It doesn’t look as pleasing to the eye as it did before, it’s not like a lawn, but from a biodiversity point of view it’s the right thing to do."
When asked about the alleged pesticide spraying, Waterford Council responded that, “The Council has a duty to maintain public spaces under its remit in a pragmatic and responsible manner, and the primary approach is, as it has always been, to ensure the Council works within the Sustainable Use Directive framework.”
According to the Sustainable Use Directive, National legislation (S.I. No. 155 of 2012) provides for restricted use of PPPs (Plant Protection Products, also known as pesticides) in certain designated areas: Areas used by the general public or vulnerable groups (public parks, hospitals, public schools, public playgrounds, etc.).
Walton Park is a public park in Dungarvan.
