A council worked arrived at my garden 30th July on a windy day and sprayed
glyphosate randomly about by the look of it
My herbs and flowers were the first to show damage and some flowers look like they are completely dead.
I caught all of the spraying on CCTV and sent it to the council.
The man I spoke to said that the spray only kills weeds and will not affect my veg
He then said it was safe to eat my veg because the department that are responsible said it was sprayed on the path
How do I get the dead plants tested for the weed killer ?
I think his advise was not very good and I did use some sage that had been sprayed the same day and my gums were bleeding when I brushed them at bedtime
I had a swollen gum for a few days
Citizens advice have given me an appointment, so I'll have to wait and see if anything can be done

I do not see that the council have the right to spray a private individual's land without consultation, unless there were proven toxic or notifiable weeds that had not been dealt with. Get legal advice. Contact the Press.

tony kitching wrote:

The man I spoke to said that the spray only kills weeds and will not
affect my veg

Glyphosate cannot tell the difference between weeds, flowers or veg and
will kill them all equally well.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"tony kitching" wrote
A council worked arrived at my garden 30th July on a windy day and
sprayed
glyphosate randomly about by the look of it
My herbs and flowers were the first to show damage and some flowers
look like they are completely dead.
I caught all of the spraying on CCTV and sent it to the council.
The man I spoke to said that the spray only kills weeds and will not
affect my veg
He then said it was safe to eat my veg because the department that are
responsible said it was sprayed on the path
How do I get the dead plants tested for the weed killer ?
I think his advise was not very good and I did use some sage that had
been sprayed the same day and my gums were bleeding when I brushed them
at bedtime
I had a swollen gum for a few days
Citizens advice have given me an appointment, so I'll have to wait and
see if anything can be done

Do you live in a Council House and ask them to control some weeds for you?
I don't understand what a Council worker was doing on your property
uninvited otherwise.
Glyphosate will kill any green plant it touches, I certainly would not eat
any plant exposed to it. That said it does disintegrate on contact with the
soil so there is no serious lasting damage to your garden only to the plants
in it.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

David in Normandy writes
tony kitching wrote:

The man I spoke to said that the spray only kills weeds and will not
affect my veg
Glyphosate cannot tell the difference between weeds, flowers or veg and
will kill them all equally well.

And the instructions tell you not to spray in windy weather because of
spray drift.

It may not have been glyphosate, it may have been some other weedkiller,
but the same still applies.


--
Kay

tony kitching wrote:
A council worked arrived at my garden 30th July on a windy day and
sprayed
glyphosate randomly about by the look of it

Pure glyphosate is about as poisonous weight for weight as the caffeine
in instant coffee. It is the wetting agents in the commercial weedkiller
formulations that are a bit nasty.

My herbs and flowers were the first to show damage and some flowers
look like they are completely dead.

How long did it take to show damage? Glyphosate is typically slow acting
and new growth yellows gradually over a two week period.

Most of the other common weedkillers are faster acting with the top
growth burning up and dessicating in sunshine or distorting wildly.

I caught all of the spraying on CCTV and sent it to the council.

What were the council workers doing on your land anyway?

The man I spoke to said that the spray only kills weeds and will not
affect my veg

OK. So we have positive proof that their spokesman is clueless.

He then said it was safe to eat my veg because the department that are
responsible said it was sprayed on the path

On paths they usually tend to use something more aggressive and
persistent with a germination inhibitor. Glyphosate might have been used
but it would not be my first choice for weeds on a path.

If they did it on a windy day and your CCTV shows that clearly then take
it to the Health and Safety. It is irresponsible to spray in windy
conditions and a certified operative should know that.

How do I get the dead plants tested for the weed killer ?

Expensively.
Any contract ultratrace analysis lab will do it for a price.

I think his advise was not very good and I did use some sage that had
been sprayed the same day and my gums were bleeding when I brushed them
at bedtime

Hard to say that this was due to pesticide residues.

I had a swollen gum for a few days
Citizens advice have given me an appointment, so I'll have to wait and
see if anything can be done

Local papers and/or regional TV news with photos are your best bet.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On 18 Aug, 22:39, Martin Brown
wrote:
tony kitching wrote:
A council worked arrived at my garden 30th July on a windy day and
sprayed
glyphosate randomly about by the look of it

Pure glyphosate is about as poisonous weight for weight as the caffeine
in instant coffee. It is the wetting agents in the commercial weedkiller
formulations that are a bit nasty.

My herbs and flowers were the first to show damage and some flowers
look like they are completely dead.

How long did it take to show damage? Glyphosate is typically slow acting
and new growth yellows gradually over a two week period.

Most of the other common weedkillers are faster acting with the top
growth burning up and dessicating in sunshine or distorting wildly.

I caught all of the spraying on CCTV and sent it to the council.

What were the council workers doing on your land anyway?

The man I spoke to said that the spray only kills weeds and will not
affect my veg

OK. So we have positive proof that their spokesman is clueless.

He then said it was safe to eat my veg because the department that are
responsible said it was sprayed on the path

On paths they usually tend to use something more aggressive and
persistent with a germination inhibitor. Glyphosate might have been used
but it would not be my first choice for weeds on a path.

If they did it on a windy day and your CCTV shows that clearly then take
it to the Health and Safety. It is irresponsible to spray in windy
conditions and a certified operative should know that.

How do I get the dead plants tested for the weed killer ?

Expensively.
Any contract ultratrace analysis lab will do it for a price.

I think his advise was not very good and I did use some sage that had
been sprayed the same day and my gums were bleeding when I brushed them
at bedtime

Hard to say that this was due to pesticide residues.

I had a swollen gum for a few days
Citizens advice have given me an appointment, so I'll have to wait and
see if anything can be done

Local papers and/or regional TV news with photos are your best bet.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Contact DEFRA
they should be able to advise
http://www.defra.gov.uk/
David Hill

On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:39:20 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

tony kitching wrote:
A council worked arrived at my garden 30th July on a windy day and
sprayed
glyphosate randomly about by the look of it

Pure glyphosate is about as poisonous weight for weight as the caffeine
in instant coffee. It is the wetting agents in the commercial weedkiller
formulations that are a bit nasty.

My herbs and flowers were the first to show damage and some flowers
look like they are completely dead.

How long did it take to show damage? Glyphosate is typically slow acting
and new growth yellows gradually over a two week period.

Most of the other common weedkillers are faster acting with the top
growth burning up and dessicating in sunshine or distorting wildly.

I caught all of the spraying on CCTV and sent it to the council.

What were the council workers doing on your land anyway?

The man I spoke to said that the spray only kills weeds and will not
affect my veg

OK. So we have positive proof that their spokesman is clueless.

He then said it was safe to eat my veg because the department that are
responsible said it was sprayed on the path

On paths they usually tend to use something more aggressive and
persistent with a germination inhibitor. Glyphosate might have been used
but it would not be my first choice for weeds on a path.

If they did it on a windy day and your CCTV shows that clearly then take
it to the Health and Safety. It is irresponsible to spray in windy
conditions and a certified operative should know that.

How do I get the dead plants tested for the weed killer ?

Expensively.
Any contract ultratrace analysis lab will do it for a price.

I think his advise was not very good and I did use some sage that had
been sprayed the same day and my gums were bleeding when I brushed them
at bedtime

Hard to say that this was due to pesticide residues.

I had a swollen gum for a few days
Citizens advice have given me an appointment, so I'll have to wait and
see if anything can be done

Local papers and/or regional TV news with photos are your best bet.

Regards,
Martin Brown


I have worked for a council (no selective weed killers) and in
agriculture and my experience of the active ingrediant glyphosphate
commonly used in Roundup is wide.

I have seen where council workers sprayed under hedge bottoms and
managed to catch people's lawns and flowers. They will have a licence
to spray, but perhaps not the will to follow what they have been
qualified to do.
You can see the effect of spraying within 12 hrs if you look closely
at leaves.The waxy sheen goes dull.
You can spray grassland and leave it for 4 days before ploughing in
and you know it will not come back.

Mike P

Mike wrote:
On Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:39:20 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

tony kitching wrote:
A council worked arrived at my garden 30th July on a windy day and
sprayed
glyphosate randomly about by the look of it
Pure glyphosate is about as poisonous weight for weight as the caffeine
in instant coffee. It is the wetting agents in the commercial weedkiller
formulations that are a bit nasty.

I have worked for a council (no selective weed killers) and in
agriculture and my experience of the active ingrediant glyphosphate
commonly used in Roundup is wide.

Surprised they don't use something more suitable on paths. I guess
because glyphosate is so lethal to plants and otherwise relatively
benign they use it for everything. The need to spray is much reduced
when a weedkiller is used with a germination inhibitor that lasts for a
season.

I have seen where council workers sprayed under hedge bottoms and
managed to catch people's lawns and flowers. They will have a licence
to spray, but perhaps not the will to follow what they have been
qualified to do.
You can see the effect of spraying within 12 hrs if you look closely
at leaves.The waxy sheen goes dull.

That is the effect of the powerful surfactants on the waxy coating. I
have found ivy and holly seedlings that have a thick waxy coat can
resist it. Buttercup sometimes recovers for reasons that escape me.

You can spray grassland and leave it for 4 days before ploughing in
and you know it will not come back.

Although usually it gets left for a bit longer. It goes a characteristic
yellow-orange colour. Grass is exquisitely sensitive to overspray or
having traces on the edge of your boots leaving outline of dead grass.


Regards,
Martin Brown

Le Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:58:17 -0700 (PDT), Dave Hill a écrit :

Local papers and/or regional TV news with photos are your best bet.

And your insurance company. It's a damage you have to make a declaration.
--
Salut la compagnie

Mon Beau Jardin est derrière La Grille Verte
http://www.la-grille-verte.net

hi Martin
I have contacted defra and they have the cctv footage
I'm sure the met office will have the wind speed direction for that day
The council told me they use this product

http://www.barclay.ie/media/11626/di...0for%20web.pdf

The man I was in contact has told me he can't help anymore.
He did admit his ignorance
He was being told what to say by someone in the department that did this
I was told that the council had a work order in place to treat my path but this man didn't put any weed killer on the path
I would not want any of this stuff in my garden
This year I'm almost completely organic

thanks David
email sent to defra
hopefully they can help

"tony kitching" wrote in message
...

A council worked arrived at my garden 30th July on a windy day and
sprayed
glyphosate randomly about by the look of it
My herbs and flowers were the first to show damage and some flowers
look like they are completely dead.
I caught all of the spraying on CCTV and sent it to the council.
The man I spoke to said that the spray only kills weeds and will not
affect my veg
He then said it was safe to eat my veg because the department that are
responsible said it was sprayed on the path
How do I get the dead plants tested for the weed killer ?
I think his advise was not very good and I did use some sage that had
been sprayed the same day and my gums were bleeding when I brushed them
at bedtime
I had a swollen gum for a few days
Citizens advice have given me an appointment, so I'll have to wait and
see if anything can be done




I suggest you write to the council and state what happened. Make clear what
damage was caused and what exactly you expect the Council to do. Presumably
you want financial compensation for the plants. If so, let them know how
much you want.

If they get a claim for a modest/reasonable amount then they are more likely
to pay it just to get shot of you. A routine third party claim in their
eyes. I would leave out your bleeding gums unless you have proof.
If you don't put a price on your complaint, what can they do? They arn't
going to make an offer.

mark

links to some pictures
I did not include the council worker one

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...9246380&ref=mf
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...9246380&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...9246380&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...9246380&ref=mf

I suggest you write to the council and state what happened. Make clear what
damage was caused and what exactly you expect the Council to do. Presumably
you want financial compensation for the plants. If so, let them know how
much you want.

Remember it's not the cost of the seeds or plants that went into the
garden, it's the cost to get you back where you were. Flowers will be
cost of suitable replacement (but don't use it as a way of improving the
garden or stocking up on expensive stuff). Herbs you'll have to buy new
plants, veg you may put a sum in for lost crops if you don't feel able
to eat them - mentioning you are gardening on organic principles would
be sensible here. But as Mark says, don't over-egg it. If they think
you're trying to make a profit over the incident they'll turn you down
flat, and it will cause you no end of a hassle trying to get anywhere.


--
Kay