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| Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
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Scottsboro council criticized for its stance
Published April 8, 2009
A Scottsboro resident spoke out against the Scottsboro City Council's approval of $42,500 to the Roseberry Rescue Group to spray aquatic weeds on Roseberry Creek.
The Roseberry group is attempting to raise $170,000 to apply the chemical Fluridone to approximately 900 acres of the waterway. In its attempt, the group has asked for $42,500 each from the city council, Jackson County Commission, Jackson County Legislative Delegation and property owners.
Thus far, property owners have raised $20,000 for the project. The city council approved their portion of the money on certain stipulations. One of those was for the group to get approval from the county commission and Legislative Delegation.
The commission has yet to act either way on a decision, while Sen. Lowell Barron said last week the Delegation would do whatever the commission did.
Monday, at a work session, Garry Morgan criticized the city council for its approval of the funds.
"The Roseberry Rescue group has no authority to poison aquatic species of any type in the large area known as Roseberry or Dry Creek unless authorized to do so by the TVA and the Alabama Department of Conservation," said Morgan.
Morgan said he was in agreement there was a problem with the weed growth, however he added that he questioned the methods to solve the problem.
"TVA is responsible, by law," said Morgan. "As a taxpayer, it is not my responsibility to provide private property owners on the lake aquatic weed control around their private boat docks."
Morgan said council members need to aquire the professional opinion of the Department of Conservation prior to issuing any funds for the purpose of eliminating or controlling aquatic plants.
"A failure to acquire professional input does not serve the public purpose and is ill advised," Morgan said, adding there can be negative consequences that can occur from the application of Fluridone.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, Fluridone is absorbed by the leaves, shoots and roots of vascular plants and kills susceptible plants by inhibiting their ability to form carotene, a substance which plants need to maintain essential levels of chlorophyll. Damage in susceptible plants usually appears in 7-10 days after water treatment.
The department also says there are no swimming or fishing restrictions associated with fluridone treatment. Consumption of fish from treated water does not pose a threat to human health.
Morgan went on to say everyone concerned with the weed problem, such as the Roseberry group, city council, county commission and Legislative Delegation, needs to appear before the TVA Board, which none he added have done.
"The political bodies have not done all they can do to make TVA do their job," he said. "And we wonder why we have heard nothing from TVA?"
In a letter to TVA State Representative Jeff McLaughlin of Marshall County, representing a group of stakeholders in Lake Guntersville, asked that the utility "keep up weed management on this lake to the same extent it has in the past..."
"Given the timing," McLaughlin added, "it is further our proposal that TVA simply conduct the same management activities this year as it did in 2008, with one special request: we ask that TVA use Fluridone in Roseberry Creek in accord with the plan that has recently been worked out between fishermen and homeowners."
As of Monday afternoon the group of local leaders and citizens McLaughlin represents had not received an answer to its request of TVA.
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