I am writing in support of the herbicide home rule article that will be on the warrant for several upcoming town meetings in April; it has already been approved by Aquinnah, Tisbury and West Tisbury. Passage of the article by the rest of the Vineyard towns would send a strong message to the state legislature that utilities like Eversource can’t spray without our permission. Many Vineyarders have advocated in favor of the article, especially because of the dangers of the widely used herbicide, Glyphosate, a prime ingredient in Roundup and in other herbicides. Glyphosate is being banned in Europe and California, and now, a jury in San Francisco has awarded $80 million to a plaintiff who stated that his use of Roundup caused him to contract cancer. If all our towns approve the article, we will be backing Senator Cyr and Representative Fernandes with their bills in the state senate and house. Once passed by the legislature, our town boards of health will then be able to provide oversight, at which time they can jointly acquire the services of a consultant to provide expert advice, if needed.

Please vote for herbicide home rule.

Jed Katch

Chilmark