Visit the following websites:
www.vmanswers.com
www.michigan.gov/mda
www.epa.gov

It is recommended that people stay out of the application area until the product has dried on the plant. During the summer months this normally occurs very quickly on warm, sunny days. On overcast, cooler days, the product may take 30 minutes to dry.

The US Environmental Protection Agency must approve each herbicide before it may be marketed, sold or used. A forestry herbicide must pass careful, methodical testing for toxicity and environmental impact. The products used in our service territory, when used in accordance with their labels, have been proven to be safe for humans, wildlife, and the environment.

When it is necessary to spray in an area close to a waterway, a tank mixture containing only Accord® is used. Accord® carries an aquatic label and has been deemed safe to use in these applications.

These chemicals are biodegradable, do not persist in the environment, and undergo decomposition. In addition, the products are applied at a very low rate. In the very unlikely event that they did reach the drinking water supply, the herbicides used on our rights-of-way would pose little threat to human health.

We only use herbicides that are very low in toxicity. They effectively kill plants by utilizing biochemical pathways that are specific only to plants. Humans or animals do not have the same pathways.

At this time, three chemical products are used to treat tall-growing brush in our rights-of-way: Arsenol®, Accord®, and Escort®. Forestry herbicides are applied at a very low volume and on a very small percentage of land. In fact, in areas with heavy brush, the total amount of the actual “chemical” applied to the right-of-way is typically less than that of a pop can.

Yes. We only use forestry herbicides that have been deemed safe, effective, and environmentally-sound when applied in accordance with their labels.

Equipment used depends on the terrain and type of work to be done.You will be notified by postcard and by phone prior to the work being done. Please call us at 1-888-485-2537 to have a vegetation management representative meet with you to discuss the work before it begins.

Tree clearing usually starts in early spring and runs through late fall, although some work continues throughout the entire year.