After public outcry, Orange County halts herbicide spraying in creeks

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Three months after residents began waging a campaign on Instagram saying they’re concerned herbicides are poisoning local creeks, Orange County officials announced they are halting spraying of the chemicals, for now, in waterways throughout the county.Starting in February, posts by the community group Creek Team OC sparked an outpouring of concern among residents.

They posted images of workers spraying chemicals and used artificial intelligence to make illustrations featuring surfers under the slogan “Endless Herbicides.”In March, county Supervisor Katrina Foley told residents the county would halt spraying of herbicides in two creeks near Doheny State Beach.This week, Foley announced that the Orange County Public Works Department had begun a “pause” of herbicide spraying in flood channels countywide.“I’m really pleased that Public Works is taking the community’s concerns seriously,” Foley said.“I think anytime we can eliminate chemicals from our community, from areas where we have natural habitat, where we have people who play or swim … we should, because it just makes our community greener and healthier.” Climate & Environment A group of residents is demanding answers from Orange County officials about herbicide spraying in waterways.Brent Linas, a San Juan Capistrano resident who started the community campaign, said he and others are ecstatic that spraying has stopped.“It’s a huge, huge win for a grassroots movement that never raised a dollar and just hammered the truth,” Linas said.

“Now, we need to make sure it doesn’t come back.”County officials have long used the chemicals in waterways to clear out vegetation and maintain the water-carrying capacity of flood control channels.Foley said she’d had many meetings with public works officials about the issue over the last couple of months.The temporary pause on spraying herbicides start...