Amenity Pesticide Use

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Amenity Pesticide Use'.
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Dear Kate

Request for Information under the Freedom of Information

(Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA)

Please see below and the attached for the information you requested.

Please be advised that an applicant who is dissatisfied with the way in
which Midlothian Council has dealt with his/her request for information
under section 1(1) of the FOISA, by virtue of section 20 of the FOISA, may
require Midlothian Council to review its actions and/or decisions in
relation to that request.  Details of Midlothian Council's complaints
procedure under the FOISA are set out in the section outlined overleaf.

Yours faithfully

Justin Venton

Land and Countryside Manager

Midlothian House

Buccleuch Street,

Dalkeith

EH22 1DN

Freedom of
Information
request -
Amenity
Pesticide
Use
Details: Dear Midlothian Council, I am writing to you under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 to request the following information. 1. Please provide
the following information on amenity pesticide usage:

a. A list of the pesticides you use (brand name, and active ingredient),
this should include insecticides, fungicides, molluscicides and herbicides.
As attached (weed killer 15-20)

b. The COSHH assessment form for each of the pesticides you use. As attached

c. Where these chemicals are used, i.e parks, road verges, pavements, tree
bases etc. These are utilised in all of Midlothian’s open spaces maintained
by the Council including Parks, pitches, Cemeteries, road verges ,schools
etc.

d. Annual quantities of each pesticide used over the past 5 years. As
attached (15-20 weed killer)

Please include the total amount of each used both by the council internally
and externally through contractors. We do not hold a record of the usage of
external contractor. However contract for 1,797 Km of streets and pavements.

e. Please also confirm the concentrations of each pesticide used at
application. Concentrations utilised are manufacturers recommended dosage

2. What strategies does the council have in place to reduce the use of these
pesticides? The Council has reduced usage through efficiencies and with
reduced spraying.

Further to this all usage of Glyphosate was stopped in June 2019 except for
the control of invasive weeds and to fulfil private contractual obligations.

Glyphosate usage was re-introduced this May in recognition of the reduced
capacity to maintain Midlothian due to Covid 19 reducing staffing
availability. This is on a temporary basis for this year only. Presentations
have been made to Councillors on Glyphosate and the alternatives and further
reports will be submitted to Council on this subject. See attached reports
for council.

Please provide detail on these efforts including dates and costings where
possible. See attached reports to Council

3. How much has the council spent on purchasing and spraying amenity
pesticides over the past 5 years? As attached

Please include staff costs of people employed to undertake this (either
contractors or council staff), personal protective equipment, safety
training, spray equipment, hazard signs, etc The spread sheet details the
contractual costs of weed spraying of streets and pavements. We do not hold
the level of detail you are requesting as costs are record for all Grounds
maintenance tasks as one entity. I have included a record of the hours
involved in herbicide application and if this is multiplied by £26.50 our
labour rate which including materials, vehicle, fuel and overheads then a
guide cost can be established.

Hours recorded for the application of herbicide

Year hours Guide cost of internal application of herbicide (based on
labour recharge rates which includes all overhead costs)
15/16 3480 £92,220
16/17 3702 £98,103
17/18 3285.40 £87,063.1
18/19 2520.55 £66,794.57
19/20 1530.65 £40,562.25

. If it is not possible to provide the information requested above for any
reason, I would be grateful for any further advice or assistance as to how I
can refine my request. If any of this information is already in the public
domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs as
necessary. If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact me via
email or phone and I will be very happy to clarify what I am asking for and
discuss the request. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your
response. Yours faithfully, Kate Basley
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