Caltrans Sprays Our Roadsides With Toxic Chemicals

By Carolanne Hunt

This area has been sprayed with toxic herbicides and pesticides 8 times since the guerilla gardeners have started caring for this location.

Southern California is going viral in the mainstream media as the general public is outraged by the state and individual counties’ current toxic herbicides and pesticide dumping practices. The Ladera Ranch controversy of children getting a very rare form of cancer called “Ewing Sarcoma” among other very rare cancers that typically only see a few thousand cases across the entire nation is causing great concern. These communities across Orange County have now expanded to include more cities that are being affected by the mass application of carcinogenic herbicides and pesticides. Orange County sees some of the highest overall cancer rates in Southern California, and also sees higher cancer rates among young adults specifically. 

Testing is currently underway at UC Irvine to understand a greater connection to these cancers and dangerous herbicide and pesticide use. Samples are being taken from various locations of heavy spraying across the county and then tested. What the general public is asking for now though, is a full transparent breakdown of where all the herbicides and pesticides are being applied and what exactly is being used. Some counties like Orange have enacted a full county-wide pause on spraying these toxic chemicals. The public works programs for each county are responsible for the spraying in the waterways, parks, and landscaped areas. Another massive source of glyphosate use (among other products) across the entire state of California is coming from Caltrans. They are solely responsible for maintaining the vegetation growth alongside most California freeways and major highways. There are quite a few concerns the community is voicing over Caltrans practices. 

One of these concerns is about public notice of spraying. These chemicals are not to be encountered directly with the body and typically explains so on most instruction labels regarding these herbicides and pesticides. So it ultimately makes sense that the residents of the areas be notified prior to spraying so they can choose an alternate route or avoid the area entirely. Public works programs themselves are being scrutinized over this, but the unique issue to Caltrans is that they spray directly on highway or freeway roadsides. What people in their cars will even be able to notice such signs if they were available? How many cars drive by this spray each day with their air conditioners on or windows down? Any windy day can take that chemical herbicide and pesticide right into contact with residents. This is not something that is currently being monitored at all or taken into consideration. These are questions residents are starting to ask Caltrans and their city and county governments. How exactly do they plan to reform this and mitigate this carcinogenic exposure to the people in light of the Ladera Ranch controversy?

This location was weed whacked and not sprayed, but the policy of ecocide and not allowing native plants to reseed is present.

Another issue to Caltrans toxic chemical application is that their current policy is one of blanket ecocide. Essentially they spray or weed whack an entire area without checking to see what species are invasive versus native. This creates a very serious fire risk as a full spray can cause dead brush all along the highways as opposed to leaving drought tolerant natives that act as a fire preventative by keeping moisture in the ground longer. Many times it has been documented that Caltrans comes in to spray or weed whack before the native plants have had a chance to seed. This allows for non native invasives to take hold and those invasive species themselves are fire accelerants. California citizens have started to engage in guerilla gardening by sprinkling California native seeds along highways and freeways in order to create a native ecosystem, covering the cost out of their own bank accounts. However, with the current Caltrans policy of blanket ecocide, fields of poppies get killed all at once. Here is what one California guerilla gardener had to say when asked for comment.

“As recently as 1894, John Muir described the Central Valley as so lush that one could walk 400 miles and crush hundreds of flowers at every step. Now that same journey is dirt, dust, and farmland. But it's no accident. Where the farmland ends along the interstate, Caltrans right-of-way begins, and they relentlessly spray poison to kill our natural blooms. The same thing happens in LA. Look for mulch plots along the highway. Every spot should be filled with bright blooms, lush sumac, fragrant sages, wise oaks, and more.  But they are sprayed regularly with poison. If you ask their crews why, they'll tell you: "we don't see any plants on the chart". And where you find plants, they are harmful invasives like eucalyptus, ice plant, olive bush, english ivy, blue plumbago, lantana, and oleander. We have a responsibility to restore the land we've stripped, especially along our roads. Every highway in California could be a scenic highway if we stopped spraying poison and cultivated California's. There are a growing number of guerilla gardeners sowing seeds - especially our state flower, the California poppy - and Angelenos are noticing and asking for more. We are waking up to what was taken from all of us.” - Christian Amonson 

This statement begs the question, does Caltrans appropriately train their spray technicians in the knowledge of invasive plants versus native plants? Why is there a list that is needed at all when seeding happens naturally? Every spray technician should ultimately have the training necessary to know such things before doing this job. This article is not to point the finger at Caltrans and shame them into a corner as they are not the only culprits involved in mass toxic herbicide and pesticide applications, and that strategy will not yield quick changes. Rather, it is to shed awareness and create an opening for Caltrans, along with public works agencies, and fire prevention agencies to come together and evaluate if the practices we currently have in place are really working for the best interest of residents. It is the hope of residents asking these questions to see Caltrans step up and own their past mistakes, but also show a willingness to change them and move forward with better policies that incorporate native biodiversity, regenerative ecosystem fire prevention strategies, and the health and safety of the communities they serve. 

To follow guerilla gardener Christian Amonson for more updates on his LA guerilla gardening journey on Instagram you can do so here. @MixerChristiannn