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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

DuPont says its Imprelis hurt trees
More than a dozen spruce and pine trees at the company-owned DuPont Country Club near the company's headquarters in Wilmington show damage that look like the symptoms reported to have been attributed in other cases to exposure to the DuPont herbicide Imprelis, by state extension services in Pennsylvania and the Midwest. These pictures were taken from Black Gates Road and Country Club Road, adjoining the club's eastern end. DuPont had no comment on the damage. (Photo by Joseph N. DiStefano)

Follow up on tree damage reported from its new herbicide Imprelis, DuPont sent this statement this afternoon:

"Based on our ongoing review, we have observed tree injuries associated with Imprelis (R), primarily on Norway spruce and white pine trees.

"Problems appear to be concentrated in a geographic band that includes Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin.

"While most properties treated have had successful weed control, we are committed to continuing to work with every customer who has experienced Imprelis-related problems.

"We sincerely regret any damage to trees that Imprelis (R) may have caused. We take this seriously and are committed to customer satisfaction and responsible product stewardship.

"We are setting up processes and procedures to individually and appropriately address the issues and needs of our customers. We are currently reaching out to all turf management professionals who purchased Imprelis(R) and, if they have not done so already, asking them to report problems so that we may address them."

DuPont has also hired 20 arborists to evaluate damage claims with turf management pros, and says it's posting a website; setting up a toll-free hotline next week; and "continuing to work on this issue with the Environmental Protection Agency, state regulators and university extension specialists."

Driving past the DuPont Country Club on Black Gates Road last weekend, I saw damage to pines and spruce that looked a lot like what extension services in Pennsylvania and other states have reported. The company had no comment.


 
Posted by Joseph N. DiStefano @ 4:48 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:00 PM, 07/27/2011
    I hope the Pine Beetle commission is listening!
    — quigly46


1 comments
About Joseph N. DiStefano
Joseph N. DiStefano writes this blog to feed his PhillyDeals column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Joe has been a member of Bloomberg LP’s New York Finance Team, wrote the book “Comcasted,” taught writing at St. Joseph’s University, and studied economics and history at Penn. Reach Joe at 215-854-5194 and JoeD@phillynews.com
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