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Resident urges town to stop herbicide spraying, cites cancer concerns
Summary
A resident told the Board of Selectmen the town's planned herbicide spraying (described as a "Round up mixture") risks contamination of private wells and cited local cancer cases, urging landowners to manage weeds and the board to reconsider municipal spraying.
A resident urged the Columbia Board of Selectmen to halt planned herbicide spraying on town-managed properties, saying nearby private wells could be at risk and that the chemicals harm neighbors.
“The town is going to poison us with these poisons,” the resident said, urging landowners to maintain their properties rather than rely on town spraying. The speaker also identified the product as a "round up mixture" and said several acquaintances in town have cancer, framing the concern as a public-health issue.
Board members acknowledged the concern and said staff would "look into" the request and follow up later. The meeting record does not show any immediate policy change; the board asked staff to report back rather than taking an on-the-spot vote.
The exchange took place during the audience-of-citizens period, when members of the public have two minutes on recognition to address the board. The town did not provide a specific timeline in the meeting for any change to its spraying program.
