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Commissioner urges council review after report of herbicide applications in county creeks
Summary
A commissioner raised an Orange County Register report alleging large-scale herbicide applications and a possibly expired county permit; the city attorney said the commission cannot act tonight but staff will look into permit status and the ecological subcommittee may advise the council sooner than the January 2027 progress report.
During the April 22, 2026 Santiago Creek Commission meeting, a commissioner raised concerns about a March Orange County Register article alleging large-scale herbicide applications into county creeks and urged the commission to press the city council to investigate permit activity.
The commissioner said the article reported "to the tune of 100,000 gallons per year" in Orange County and asserted that a county permit authorizing such applications had expired in 2018. The commissioner asked staff to flag the issue for council review and said waiting until the subcommittee's January 2027 progress report could allow further creek impacts in the meantime.
The city attorney responded that the commission could not take a formal action on an item that was not on the agenda that night but said staff could investigate and brief the ecological subcommittee, which could then advise staff to bring a matter to council earlier than the scheduled progress update. Staff agreed to report back to the subcommittee and to keep commissioners apprised of findings.
Commissioners noted possible public-health and ecological concerns if permit activity were occurring without renewal and suggested targeted research and outreach (including public records checks and coordination with county authorities) as the next steps. No formal motion or formal advisory was adopted during the meeting; the issue was left as staff follow-up and potential subcommittee work.
