Environmental activists in Lincoln, Ore., have garnered the signatures needed to place a ballot initiative on the November ballot to ban aerial spraying in Lincoln County.
These activists inaccurately claim that “a large number of pesticides being used; among them ... glyphosate (Roundup), and atrazine, have been proven harmful to both humans and the environment ... only a small fraction of the approximately 12,000 pesticides registered for use in Oregon ... have ever been tested for safety.”
The ballot measure, named the “Freedom from Aerially Sprayed Pesticides Ordinance of Lincoln County,” claims an unalienable “right to be free of aerially sprayed pesticides” and would prohibit “aerial spraying of pesticides within Lincoln County.” The ballot also states that “any municipality or designated jurisdiction adjacent to Lincoln County shall be strictly liable for damages caused by those pesticides to the residents and ecosystems within Lincoln County.” It would also grant individual citizens the ability to “enforce the ... prohibitions of this law through direct action” if that citizen believes the government isn't enforcing this law.
NAAA will continue to monitor this ballot measure and support Oregonians for Food and Shelter, which opposes this measure.