Beaver Creek Wetlands Herbicide Users Safety Guidance

Transcription

1 Beaver Creek Wetlands Herbicide Users Safety Guidance Tailored to herbicides in use by volunteers Part I Glyphosate, Fusilade, Poast & 2,4-D By James P. Amon with added info from Jim Mason October 2013

2 Label is the Law Most things you need to know are printed on the label of the herbicide. Under Ohio Law (Dept. Agriculture) the Label provides all info you need to use each product safely and with minimal impact to the environment. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential at all times. A Label for herbicide being used should be available in case of emergency read caution /first aid statements.

3 Be Familiar with Label Sections Statement of practical treatment is the first aid section. Precautionary Statement is to determine which parts of your body need special protection. Environmental Hazards section is where you need to take extra care to protect certain wildlife, to keep the pesticide out of groundwater or out of surface water. Directions for use has information on storage, disposal, mixing, loading, and application.

4 Dangerous Exposure to Herbicides Use no food, water, cosmetics that is, anything that gets contaminated hands to mouth is forbidden while using herbicides. Don t contaminate food stuffs. If you feel ill in any way from possible exposure let a responsible person know immediately. Always have water available for eyewash. Have towels etc. available for cleanup. Allergic responses are possible. Watch for rashes, runny nose, difficulty in breathing, itching, sneezing. Know signal words to assess level of risk: Caution, Warning, Danger. All of these on front of LABEL.

5 Personal Protection The major goal is to protect you from absorbing, inhaling or ingesting toxic materials. Cover as much of exposed skin as possible with long sleeves and long pants. Shoes and socks essential. Gloves (Strong, chemically resistant); not those that will get saturated with herbicide. Hat. Eye protection as needed during mixing. Breathing protection as needed. None of our currently used chemicals require this.

6 PPE when mixing You will probably not be mixing, but you may be near or helping Mixing exposes you to concentrated toxins. Extra care and protection from spills and splashes (eye protection) most important here. Label will have one of three signals as to toxicity : Caution = lowest level of risk Warning = intermediate level of risk Danger = highest level of risk These levels dictate the kind of PPE required and PPE will be specified on the label.

7 Harm to nearby plants Treating large areas will expose all plants to the herbicide so it is important to know when this method is or is not to be used. Broadcast over large areas is OK when nearly all of the plants present need to be killed. Individual, plant by plant, treatment must be used when most of the plants need to be protected. Drift of spray to nearby plants is increased by wind and small droplet size. Adjust sprayers accordingly. In most cases wind speeds of over 10 mph will prevent selective plant by plant spraying.

8 Harm to Environment We use only a few herbicides and those are selected to cause minimal harm to the environment. Some can be used on all sites. Some can t be used where they come in contact with water. Some kill grasses only. Some kill broad-leaf plants (forbs) only. Some kill everything. Most (not all) work best on growing plants. Most (not all) have little impact on dormant plants.

9 Contamination Concentrates: Wash off skin, flush eyes with water, rinse gloves, launder clothes (double wash). Application strength: as above, but danger far lower in the ½ to 10% solutions. Small amount on surfaces: absorb with kitty litter, soil or clay. Large spills: contain immediately with barriers. Always store and transport chemicals in a way that minimizes spill risk use tie-downs, spill trays, etc.

10 Use Guidelines Include colorant to see where herbicide has been applied. Do not apply when wind can carry herbicide to nontargeted plants, or when rain can wash it off and contaminate water or desirable vegetation. Use when average daily temperatures are moderate 50 F to 90 F. Use when target plant is actively growing, except early spring first growth of perennials. Consult label or experience to adjust concentrations. More next slide. In aquatic applications (like AquaNeat) surfactant should be an aquatic approved adjuvant.

11 Glyphosate-based herbicides Aqua-Neat - can be used over water RoundUp, RazorPro, (and similar) can t be used over water. Check the label. All glyphosate-based products kill nearly everything that is growing (not dormant) Signal Level: CAUTION (least dangerous) PPE: long shirt & pants, shoes, socks, hat, gloves Used with surfactants that can be at DANGER level during mixing requires eye protection

12 Concentrations and Targets: Glyphosate Honeysuckle fall foliage: spray 3/4 to 1%, after other plants dormant and HS leaves still green. Honeysuckle cut stumps: 15% directed at cambium (just inside bark). Apply to stump only- always avoid surroundings. Sprayer needs to be very close to stump! Spring bloom inhibition of reed canarygrass, purple loosestrife potentially others: 1/2 to 2% directed toward upper parts. Kill unlikely, but seed production stopped and food production (starches/sugars) slowed. Late summer/fall or new growths: 1% in monocultures. Expect high % kill upon transport to roots.

13 Grass Specific Herbicides Fusilade II and Poast Plus. Both selective & kill ONLY grasses. Sedges and forbs NOT harmed. Very useful in initial invasions of RCG or anywhere valuable sedges and forbs need protection. Useful only if grass is growing, best when it gets past initial light green stage, but don t let it get tall. Unlawful to apply in/over water or where water can flow to streams, ponds, lakes upon rainfall. Poast sensitive to strong sunlight. Use on cloudy days, late in day or in fall as sun angle is lower. Fusilade not as sensitive. Both take 2-3 weeks before damage to grass is evident (yellowing). Wait before respraying to determine effectiveness.

14 Concentrations and Adjuvants for grass herbicides Poast used at % is effective. Currently using LI- 700 as adjuvant (spreader, penetrant, sticker, surfactant). While Poast and Fusilade II are at CAUTION level of toxicity, LI-700 is at DANGER level especially in concentrate - it contains acid (eye protection). Fusilade II used at 0.5 to 0.6% level effectively. LI-700 or a non-ionic surfactant needed as adjuvant. Fusilade II used at 32 oz/50 gallons. Always add colorant (TurfMark) at about 1 oz/ gallon. Have used 0.5 oz per gallon just need to see marker on grass.

15 2,4-D Used to kill forbs (broad-leaf plants like purple loosestrife), some woody vegetation. Most grasses and sedges are not harmed by 2,4-D Two forms Amine and Ester. Ester better in cool weather. Do NOT use ester form in hot weather! Ester not appropriate over water. Amine OK near water, but not directly over it. Use as stump spray for autumn olive, Callery pear (flowering ornamental) at 100% concentration. Note: Also 2,4-D is part of other formulations like Triplet herbicide (with Dicamba and Mecoprop-p), but not allowed around water.

16 Garlon 4 (Triclopyr 4) Not currently in our general use but could be a good stump treatment for a number of woody species. OK to use in seasonally dry wetlands. Caution on label. Has some residual activity avoid adjacent vegetation. Can be used in oil at 20-30% Triclopyr as basal bark treatment (same as stump treatment). Grass usually not harmed.

17 Local Observations: Reed Canarygrass Reed canarygrass (RCG) has two seasons of growth when treatment effective: spring (April & May) and fall (September to early October). Spring treatment prevents seed formation(important), but has poor kill. Fall treatment effective in killing all except dormant underground parts. Repeated treatment of RCG in both seasons over 3 or more years often successful. Late summer not effective. Competitive, desirable, plants include Carex comosa, Eleocharis erythropoda, Sparganium eurycarpum, and Juncus effusus. If these species are present in treatment area chose a grass specific herbicide such as Fusilade II instead of broad spectrum glyphosate.

18 RCG continued It is critical that repeated treatments are made over the 3 year period. Mowing in late summer or early fall induces new growth that is very sensitive to herbicide and the resulting small shoots require less herbicide. When flooding prevents mowing or application, treat full sized new growth in fall as soon as it is dry even though it will require 4 to 5 times more herbicide. Phragmites (common reed) may respond to Fusilade II similarly to RCG.

19 Local Observations: Purple Loosestrife Purple Loosestrife (PLS) sprayed with herbicide (glyphosate or 2,4-D) immediately before bloom produces about 90% less seed, but may not be killed. Highly recommended because of huge seed production. PLS at the late part of bloom cycle is sensitive to herbicide. Multi-year treatments expected due to extensive seedbank in soil and dormant underground parts. Where PLS is in rich sedge meadows, use broadleaf herbicide such as 2,4-D to prevent damage to sedges, especially in spring. As with any treatment, expect that replacement plantings, such as sedges, may be needed if the primary cover was the invader.

20 Herbicide Use Cautions Keep glove,s and other PPE, on as long as you may be in contact with herbicide residues. Remove gloves without touching outsides of them. Remove clothing as soon as possible and launder. Having outer layer that can be removed at application site is desirable. Segregate soiled clothes from daily use clothes in laundry. Do not eat, drink or have any hand to mouth activity unless you are certain hands are washed and herbicide free. Do not eat with your contaminated gloves on. Bathe well with soap and water and wash hair.

21 Clean Up Make only as much herbicide as needed leftover needs to be handled with caution. Rinse water from tank can be used to refill next load. Diluted herbicide can be applied on treatment site. Triple rinse containers before disposal.

22 Cleaning Up Spilled Pesticides The three C s Control the Spill Make sure that the spill source is stopped! - Shut off mixing or application equipment if it is leaking. - Turn the container upright if it has fallen. - If the container is broken or leaking, put it inside another container. Contain the Spill Stop the spill from spreading - Use a mound of dirt or other material to make a dike around the edge of the spill. - Rope off the area so that other people cannot walk through it. Clean up the Spill - Do not use water. - Soak up liquid spills with special spill sponges or with soil, sawdust, clay, cat litter, or other absorbent materials. - If the pesticide or absorbent material is likely to blow around moisten it very slightly with water or cover it with a tarp. - Sweep the spill and cleanup materials into plastic containers or special drums. source: Jim Mason

23 Don t Have Leftovers if Possible If you have leftover pesticides, dispose of them according to the instructions on your pesticide label. This can be problematic as most labels are vague on this point.

24 Some Final Words Know how to identify your target plants. If not sure, ask an expert. Do not spray if not sure. Be aware of spray drift. Watch where it is going. Reduce drift by increase of droplet size or reducing pressure. Some adjuvants can help reduce drift. Do not spray in rain or if rain expected within 2 hours. Do not spray in strong wind. If wind increases during spray operations ask for advice from leader before continuing.

25 The Regulation Background In Ohio, the use of pesticides is regulated by the USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) which registers all pesticides and the ODA (Ohio Department of Agriculture) which enforces laws in Ohio. The state law is called the Ohio Pesticide Law. The federal pesticide law is called FIFRA (Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act).

26 Direct Supervision Direct supervision of trained servicemen is a requirement of the Ohio Pesticide Law. - Basic training needed for trained service persons. - Certified applicator must be within close geographical proximity to the work site which under normal circumstances shall not exceed twenty-five miles; or - Available within short period of time, which under ordinary circumstances shall not exceed two hours.

27 Preventing Reinvasion Once invasive is gone it will come back unless its growing space is colonized with a new and desirable plant. In most wet places we use sedges to replace RCG or Purple loosestrife. Lingering RCG can be controlled in a sedge meadow using Fusilade II and 2,4 D will kill reemerging purple loosestrife (pls). If PLS is not anticipated in the new community it is possible to plant plugs or seeds of various forbs.

28 More Prevention Repeated Fusilade II treatment is being used on Phragmites (common reed). During the multi year treatment of Phragmites various sedges, rushes an forbs have been planted in the affected area to compete with the not-yet-dead Phragmites. Since Phragmites is a grass, using Fusilade II in this location will kill it without ill effects on other plantings. Note that if rice cutgrass (desirable) is present at any site, early spring treatment of reed canarygrass will not harm it because the rice cutgrass germinates in late spring, after any Fusilade would be used. By fall, rice cutgrass is no longer growing and is thus not impacted by Fusilade II.

29 More safe working rules If you experience an irritation or illness that is possibly the result of herbicide let the leader know immediately. If herbicide gets in eyes flush with water immediately. If you get herbicide concentrate on exposed parts of your body wash it off immediately. Double wash your herbicide contaminated clothes. Clean your work boots. Always return your container of herbicide to the leader do not take it home with you. Keep herbicides away from food or water during transport.

30 End of Part 1 As we find a need to use additional herbicides training for those herbicides will be undertaken. A written exam that tests your ability to use safe practice with these herbicides will be announced soon.

31 Other information for reference Spreadsheet for mixing proportions at various volumes. Safety Training Guide for Trained Service Persons. Sample Labels. Sample MSDS sheet. BCWA Application Record Form.