Orange County Herbicide Controversy | Orange County News

Orange County’s decades-long practice of spraying glyphosate herbicides into rivers and creeks is under fire as environmental advocates push for an end — but political and regulatory hurdles keep the status quo alive. Tens of thousands of gallons are dumped annually, with the Santa Ana River alone receiving 30,000 to 50,000 gallons yearly, justified by officials as flood control. Supervisor Katrina Foley led a failed motion to phase out spraying, blocked by Supervisor Don Wagner, who insists current levels are safe under federal and state permits. Regulatory bodies have found violations in monitoring and testing practices, including allegedly invalid data presented as proof water was safe. While Bayer, RoundUp’s maker, has paid billions in cancer-related settlements and faces scrutiny from WHO and California’s cancer list, the EPA still claims no link to cancer. Some progress: supervisors adopted OC Creek Team recommendations, paused spraying temporarily, and launched a pilot program in two creeks — but advocates warn a pause doesn’t mean an end, and the battle continues. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b1beb600f780122b