The Brookfield Inland-Wetlands Commission has asked that the town stop using glyphosate in the upland review areas of the town wetlands, and consider banning them from use completely.  First Selectman Steve Dunn agreed that the use of the product should be restricted and special care be taken around upland review areas. 

While he's not aware of any instance where the town uses these products near wetlands, Brookfield does have a policy in place now to limit the use of the product to only areas where there is no other option. 

Brookfield has stopped using Roundup and will be using another product to determine how effectively they work.  This will be an ongoing evaluation.

The Inland-Wetlands Commission cited studies showing that harmful chemicals from herbicides travel further than 75-feet during rain events.  They noted that town employees have been trained in its proper application, but those training have been proven by the manufacturer to not be fully safe for wetlands. 

Dunn says the primary use for products containing glyphosate is on roadways where the town has to maintain sight lines for drivers and cannot mow the right of ways due to localized conditions.

While the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection does allow for the use of these chemicals, they do note that town regulations must be observed.  DEEP does say that Roundup is not approved for use over water because the surfactant is toxic to aquatic organisms.  Surfactant is the soapy substance that helps the herbicide stay on the leaf surface longer.