[pbs] Washington recycling
Kathleen Sayce
ksayce at willapabay.org
Sun Mar 8 18:00:36 EDT 2009
unacceptable levels of the herbicide clopyralid were detected in the
compost
Sadly, this is true. Woodland Park Zoo determined that the herbicide
clopyralid arrived at the zoo in straw bedding and feed, and as of
last fall changed bedding and feed suppliers. But it will take time
for all materials to move through animals and then the composting
stream. So they decided last fall to suspend compost sales for a
year. They found the contamination after testing, following a
complaint about tomatoes and other food plants from a compost buyer.
Recent testing indicated new compost was clear of the herbicide, but
they aren't taking any chances. The zoo has also been scaling back on
all pesticide use over the past few years, even before this problem
arose.
We had snow again last night, but with partly sunny skies,
temperatures reached 46 F today, at sealevel. Primroses, early
tulips, several crocus, and of course popweed, are flowering in my
garden. I moved several pots of seedlings into a cold room yesterday,
following comments about bulbs being eaten down. I knew I'd been
seeing Fritillaria persica and F. pallidiflora seedlings, even some
Calochortus, and then, zap, they disappeared. So now I need not only
a crow-dropping-clams-proof coldframe, it needs to be rodent and bird
proof too.
Kathleen
Nahcotta, WA.
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