Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS) See PANUPS
updates service, for complete information. Compost Contaminated
with Clopyralid December 11, 2001 For the second year in a row,
the persistent herbicide clopyralid has contaminated compost at
two composting facilities in the U.S. state of Washington.
Produced exclusively by Dow AgroSciences and available
commercially under the name Confront, Clopyralid has recently
contaminated compost in New Zealand and in the U.S. state of
Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Composting Council. Confront
is used on lawns to kill dandelions, clover and other broadleaf
plants. Although most herbicides are considered to break down
during composting, clopyralid and others in the pyridine
carboxylic acid group break down extremely slowly, especially
during composting. In Washington, plants treated with Confront
have contaminated compost at local composting facilities with
levels of clopyralid high enough to cause damage to compost
users' crops, including those at local