Santa Barbara residents received notice last week that Roundup, a toxic herbicide, was being applied at Franceschi Park on the Riviera from June 3 to June 9. They also saw it being applied along Tunnel Trail near Mission Canyon. It sparked concern from residents, considering Roundup’s potential risks.
Roundup contains glyphosate, a chemical that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified as a probable carcinogen. Tens of thousands of claims have been filed against Roundup manufacturer Bayer, alleging that the weedkiller causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer.
“Roundup … is not only toxic to humans, but it is also toxic to the abundant wildlife that currently thrives in the park,” wrote one resident in a letter to the Independent. He noted that the National Library of Medicine documents that exposure to glyphosate can produce alterations in the structure of the nervous systems of humans and animals. “The City of Santa Barbara should not be using such a dangerous, toxic substance in a public park.”