The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reassuring the public that chemicals they’re adding to the Connecticut River to combat the invasive hydrilla plant will not pose a risk to swimmers.
The Army Corps will add herbicides on Aug. 19-20 to Chester Boat Basin and Selden Cove near Hadlyme, Connecticut. Their goal is to get rid of hydrilla, a fast-growing plant that can harm wildlife and other plants by blocking light and raising oxygen levels. Hydrilla can also get stuck in boat propellers, making it hard for boats to access the river.
But misinformation online about one of the chemicals, known as diquat, which will be added to Chester Boat Basin, is causing worry about the effect it could have on people swimming in the water. Although the chemical has been banned in the European Union and United Kingdom, it has been deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency.
“There is no risk of concern for adults or children exposure to diquat from swimming immediately after application, from inhalation, contact with water, or potential incidental swallowing of the treated water,” said Anne Overstreet, director of the Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division at the EPA, during an Aug. 6 virtual public information session hosted by the Army Corps.
Concentrated levels of diquat pose a risk to workers applying the chemical, who will wear protective eyewear and respirators, Overstreet said.
“The bottom line is, if the label directions are followed, there are no concerns from people swimming or being in the area or coming into contact with water that's been treated with diquat,” Overstreet said.
Other methods of removing hydrilla, such as pulling it out with a harvester, have been tried at Chester Boat Basin before, but were less effective and more expensive, according to Keith Hannon, the Army Corps’ New England District Manager.
“If you pull at the top like this, with this machine, it really is just going to break it in half or remove just the top. It does not remove the root, or it’s not going to remove all of the roots, ensuring that it will just keep growing back,” Hannon said. “So one cut is not enough. You have to do multiple cuts in a season and that gets more expensive.”
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member who covers the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public.
