Gulfport loves its dogs, and when some residents saw the City’s contracted pest control spraying Roundup, they grew concerned.
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Mornings start for many with a walk. Whether accompanied by a partner, furry friend, or taken solo, walks are an activity that is meant to get the blood pumping and ready for the rest of the day ahead.
For some residents, peaceful morning walks turned sour as they discovered that harsh chemicals were present in another public space.
Following the recent controversy regarding pesticide use at the local dog parks, Grello and many other residents are disappointed another similar situation has occurred.
“I have been searching for a place to walk my dogs, because of all the other scenarios. And on St. Patrick’s Day, the 17th of March, I took my dogs down to the beach, walking on the sidewalk. As I passed the volleyball courts, I noticed these little signs. On each of them it said the date, followed by ‘Roundup’,” local resident Tina Grello explained. “After seeing the signs I scooped my dogs up and headed back home,” Grello added.
“It was a misunderstanding; there was a change in management [for the contractors] and they did not confirm with management prior to spraying.” Public Works director Tom Nicholls said in reference to the Roundup application.
City officials recently changed their service partners for managing pests and weeds. The new company, Florida Ground Control, was not authorized to spray Roundup at the beach, although continued with doing so because of a lack of communication, according to City officials.
Some residents, like Grello, take issue with the use of Roundup and other harsh chemicals due to the chemical’s harmful nature. Many studies conducted and reviewed internationally have stated that Roundup and other glyphosate-based products have carcinogenic (cancer-causing) properties, according to the National Pesticide Information Center.
“We chose to move here because when we came here and we looked around, it seemed like a very, very conscious community,” Grello said.
That being said, the Center does also report that the chemical is known for its binding abilities and can break down with time, making it unlikely to enter groundwater or runoff, a detail reinforced by both Nicholls and Parks and Facilities Superintendent Tim Connor.
Despite the misunderstanding, City officials do not intend on switching pest control providers and will continue to use their services.
“We plan on continuing our relationship with them… They come out twice a year to do the maintenance on the beach. And we trust that they’ll fix the problem. They were very apologetic about the situation, and sent a letter to us in that regard.” Connor told The Gabber.
City officials do plan on implementing new procedures to ensure that Gulfport residents, both bipedal and four-legged, are safe and feel welcomed.
“Moving forward, we’re going to get a day’s notice. Prior to them coming out, we’re going to shut down [the park]; we’re going to post [that] the park that will be closed the following day for maintenance purposes,” Connor explained.
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