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Canal residents urge herbicide transparency; board points to existing protocol and agrees to post notices
Summary
A resident told the Natural Resource Board he and neighbors lack information about herbicides used in Sebastian canals and asked for advance notice and public disclosure; staff said a written herbicide/pesticide protocol exists at City Hall and agreed to post it online and provide a parks department update next month.
A Sebastian resident told the Natural Resource Board on May 6 that he and other canal-side homeowners are not being given advance notice or clear information about the chemical herbicides used to control floating vegetation.
Frank Trinkle, a canal-side resident on Joy Haven Drive, said the treatments “may be unknowingly sprayed on edible crops and play areas” and that “decaying treated vegetation releases nutrients that worsen runoff into the Indian River Lagoon.” He asked the board for posted notifications, “clear public disclosure of what specific compounds are being used,” and consideration of mechanical or less-harmful alternatives in residential areas.
The board’s staff response said a formal herbicide and pesticide protocol already exists and is available at City Hall. Felicia Gordian, Natural Resource Board staff, told Trinkle the protocol “lists everything that we spray, how we spray, when we’re gonna spray, who’s spraying it,” and that residents can request the spraying schedules at City Hall. Board members agreed to work on making that information more accessible online and to provide a parks-department update at the next meeting.
The exchange made a clear distinction between public concern and board direction: Trinkle’s remarks were public comment; staff described an existing written protocol; and the board committed to posting the protocol and giving a formal update rather than changing spraying practices immediately.
Board members also noted that littoral vegetation around canals can support wildlife and help with filtration, a factor the city considers when managing canal edges. No changes to spraying policy or a new prohibition were proposed or voted on at the meeting.
The board asked staff to follow up with a parks-department briefing on spraying activities at a future meeting and to post the herbicide/pesticide protocol where residents can find it.
