Fear that herbicides are poisoning Orange County creeks blows up on social media
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Residents concerned about the possible poisoning of Orange County waterways with herbicides have been making their voices heard on Instagram and pressured the county into holding a meeting on the issue Monday night.Their effort has exposed tensions between people who see the waterways as natural creeks and county officials who see them as flood channels.
Brent Linas, a 41-year-old tech sales director in San Juan Capistrano, launched the Creek Team OC Instagram account after seeing changes on his runs along San Juan and Trabuco creeks.Lush green reeds in the channel had suddenly turned brown and lifeless, and birds had disappeared.
Linas said when county officials ignored and brushed aside his complaints, he and others turned to social media.“We want an end to the use of herbicides in our creeks,” Linas said.
“This idea that we’re just going to spray, hose down these creeks and leave them dead is unacceptable.”The account has gained more than 4,600 followers in three weeks.Linas and other residents have filed requests for records detailing the chemicals the county uses to control vegetation in the waterways, such as glyphosate, triclopyr and imazapyr.
They have posted images of workers spraying chemicals and used artificial intelligence to make illustrations resembling movie posters and old-fashioned magazine ads, some with surfers under the slogan “Endless Herbicides.”San Juan Creek meets the ocean beside the popular surf break at Doheny State Beach.Linas, who often takes his two kids there, said surfers are angry about the spraying and are helping make fliers.Orange County Public Works officials defend their practices.“Vegetation management in flood control channels is conducted to maintain flood protection capacity and protect public safety,” Dave Ahern, a spokesperson for the agency, said in an email.
“When chemical treatments are used, they are applied...