Ken Smith/Turnagain Times
Weeds sprout up in the Alaska
Railroad tracks from Indian to
Seward causing problems.
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By Karen Garcia
Turnagain Times Correspondent
The spraying of herbicides along the stretch of railroad running from Indian to Seward is a seriously divided issue, prone to sparking heated disagreements. But on Monday, Aug. 10, the city of Whittier hosted a community hearing on the matter which garnered little to no attention from the public.
Over the course of the two-and-a-half hour hearing, four members of the community signed in. None gave public testimony, but instead submitted written comments for the consideration of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the government organization that arranged the hearing.
Originally slated to include a preliminary question and answer session and a short presentation by the DEC, the structure of the hearing essentially disintegrated into little more than an informal open house due to lack of public attendance.
The hearing concerned whether or not the DEC should grant a permit to the Alaska Railroad to spray a weed-killing herbicide along certain sections of track running from Indian to Seward.
“Anytime you want to spray pesticides on state-owned land or state right-of-ways, you have to get a permit through the DEC, and there’s a public process associated with that permitting,” said Karin Hendrickson, the Environmental Program Specialist for the DEC.
This public process, which runs from July 17 until September 15, allows members of the community to express their opinions on the proposed project.
Whether or not the DEC grants the railroad a permit to spray, however, is not entirely dependent on the public’s attitude.
“The process will incorporate comments and testimony from the public,” said Hendrickson, “but the decision will be based on a review of unbiased, scientifically-based, peer-reviewed, and validated data.”
Despite limited public participation, the conductors of the hearing were well prepared for any questions that might have been thrown at them.
Posters and diagrams packed with information lined the walls of the room, and handouts featuring maps of the proposed spraying area were available at the door. Members of the DEC and Alaska Railroad were on-hand to answer any questions, and a toxicologist was present to address any concerns about the proposed use of the herbicide AquaMaster, containing the active ingredient Glyphosate.
The few people who did attend the Whittier hearing were not of the same mind on the issue, however, and encapsulated the two main camps that have materialized regarding the spraying of herbicides along the tracks.
“I support it 100 percent,” said Pete Heddell, a resident of Whittier. “They’ve done their homework. Let them do their jobs. The consequences of their not being allowed to do this far outweigh any possible fallout.”
The consequences Heddell is referring to include, among other things, possible train derailment and continuing fines from the Federal Railroad Administration for operating on unsafe, weed-ridden tracks.
Heddell sat in the back of the room, speaking candidly about the ARR’s vegetation management program with his friend and Whittier city council member, Pete Denmark, who happened to hold an opposing view.
“I don’t see any reason, given the scope of the work, to introduce any new contaminants into the local ecosystem,” Denmark said.
The ARR’s proposed spraying time is summer of 2010 and is expected to cost about $50,000. With a little less than a year to make a decision, the DEC intends to conduct thorough research over the fall and winter months to make sure everyone’s concerns are quelled.
“It’s going to be a fairly long process,” said Hendrickson, “because we know it is high visibility and people are concerned and we want to make sure we’ve addressed everything.”
Two additional hearings were held on Tuesday, Aug. 11 and Wednesday, Aug. 12 in Seward and Anchorage. While the turnout at these meetings surpassed that of Whittier, attendance still was not stellar.
“In Seward about 10 people from the public showed up and six gave public comments,” Tim Thompson, Director of Public Affairs for the Alaska Railroad, reported. “Anchorage had about 10 people as well and seven people gave public comment.”
Thompson was not discouraged by the lackluster attendance at the Whittier hearing and maintains that if people feel strongly about the matter either way, they will find a way to speak out.
“If people aren’t here right now, they can still submit written comments,” Thompson said. “They can even call in.”
Comments can be submitted until Sept. 15 to Stephanie Stewart via postal mail, e-mail, phone or fax. The corresponding addresses can be found online at alaskarailroad.com.
Information ranging from FAQs to AquaMaster studies to research projects performed by the University of Alaska Fairbanks is also available on the ARR website. Click on “Community” and then “Vegetation Management.”
