GRAND LEDGE, Mich. — No one wants to see weeds running wild at a school, but there are questions being raised about how one local district is dealing with them.
A jury in federal court in San Francisco will decide whether Roundup weed killer caused a California man's cancer in a trial that started on Monday.A mother reached out to News 10 after finding out Grand Ledge plans to use RoundUp, an herbicide linked to cancer in a recent lawsuit, to get rid of weeds.
RoundUp application notices were put up on all the doors at the administration building, but after administrators saw people posting their concerns about the herbicide on social media, they're now thinking twice about its use.
"These are honey bees that we have in our own yard," Danielle Dayrell, a concerned mother from Grand Ledge, said.
She said she doesn't spray the weed killer on her property because her family has honey bees.
"A little bit of weeds will not hurt anything as long as we can save these wonderful creatures," Dayrell said.
She doesn't think RoundUp should be used at her daughter's school or anywhere within the Grand Ledge School District.
"We could do alternative safer method with spraying, maybe an organic solution," Dayrell said.
The district has used the herbicide in the past to treat its grounds.
And notices on their administration building say they were planning on using it again this summer starting June 10 through July 5 on evenings, weekends and when school is not in session.
But Dayrell is concerned because her daughter attends camp at the school right now.
"It lasts for a little bit in the grass so I know they go for recess. so they do play on it. I just don't know how long it lasts in the grass," Dayrell said.
John Ellsworth, a district spokesperson said despite the dates on the notices they actually haven't sprayed yet this year.
Those dates were merely a window of when they could've used the product.
Their maintenance director is now looking at alternatives and nothing is being ruled out.
Ellsworth said they don't use products the state deems unsafe.
They also haven't had a staff member or parent complain about any side effects from exposure to RoundUp.
"I love the district, I really do," Dayrell said
Dayrell just wants the district to think about what's safest.
"Do we really need to use Roundup? Or could we figure out something else?" Dayrell said.
The district will be looking into whether RoundUp is still considered safe to use, but Ellsworth said he doesn't know when a decision will be made.
RoundUp's manufacturer, Monsanto, has defended the safety of the product and said glyphosate, the active ingredient in the widely used week killer is safe.
The company is appealing the court's decision.
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