Eagle Pass City Council approves Resolution in opposition to use of herbicides to eradicate Carrizo Cane on Rio Grande

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

The controversial issue of spraying herbicides on Carrizo Cane along the Rio Grande River on the United States-Mexico border has resurfaced in 2016 as the U.S. Department of Security by and through the U.S. Border Patrol is seeking to spray once again in order to eradicate heavy growth of Carrizo to assist national security surveillance. Previously, in 2009 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sprayed the herbicide called Imazapyr to eradicate Carrizo along the Rio Grande River amidst stiff and loud opposition by local governmental entities on both sides of the Rio Grande in the Texas-Mexico border.

The new request was discussed during the Eagle Pass City Council meeting, which was held on Tuesday, June 7, 2016.

During 2009, residents of Laredo, Texas strenuously objected a decision by the United States Border Patrol (USBP) to spray the Rio Grande river bank with herbicides to eradicate dense carrizo cane that hindered USBP patrolling agents from performing the surveillance duties in spotting drug smugglers and undocumented immigrants from crossing onto the United States from Mexico via the Rio Grande River.

In 2009, Border Patrol officials proposed spraying the herbicide imazapyr from helicopters in order to control the dense carrizo cane that covers vast portions of the Rio Grande riverbank and obstructs the Border Patrol’s vision of the U.S.-Mexico border crossings.

Both leaders and residents from Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico expressed strong opposition against the proposal due to the public health and environmental problems that could arise from the spraying of the herbicide.

Reports show that carrizo cane, can grow up to 30 feet high at the rapid rate of 4 inches per day,

The U.S. Border Patrol planned to begin spraying March 25, 2009 but halted operations when the city councils of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo protested the use of the chemical, fearing contamination of their drinking water.

Today in 2016, the Eagle Pass City Council and its constituents are being faced with a similar situation with the proposed aerial spraying of herbicides onto the banks of the Rio Grande as being considered under a new proposal from Federal and State authorities.

During the Eagle Pass City Council meeting held on Tuesday, June 7 , 2016, Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu presented a resolution under agenda item No. 11 which calls for the opposition of such proposal from both Federal and State authorities.

Mayor Cantu presented the City of Eagle Pass resolution.

Council then proceeded to have a thorough discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed Carrizo cane spraying in order to make an informed decision whether to oppose or approve such a controversial program. Interim City Manager Roberto Gonzalez advised the City Council that all of the governmental entities along the Texas-Mexico border are opposing the new program proposed by the federal and State governments. Mayor Cantu added that the controversial program was recently discussed at the Texas Border Coalition Summit held earlier this month in Eagle Pass with an overwhelming majority of leaders and communities opposing the spraying of herbicides.

Interim City Manager Roberto Gonzalez noted that the City’s Water Treatment Plant on the Rio Grande has to be shut down for two days when spraying is done to avoid contaminating the potable water of Eagle Pass and Maverick County.

City Council member Luis E. Sifuentes noted that he has family members who work for the U.S. Border Patrol and that the City should consider the national security and surveillance needs of the Border Patrol before deciding whether to oppose the spraying program. Sifuentes requested full disclosure of the effects of the spraying program before voting. He was provided a copy of the effects of the herbicide spraying and after reviewing it agreed with his Council colleagues that the City should oppose it.

Resolution No. 2016- R was then passed on a unanimous vote by the Eagle Pass City Council.