Friday, October 01, 2004

Talking Trash

The invasion of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica, Polygonum cuspidatum, etc.) at a landfill in Orleans, Massachusetts is about to become a lot more than just a nuisance. According this story from The Cape Codder, the town is set to start taking bids to have the landfill capped. Unfortunately, one of the most amazing and annoying things about knotweed is that it can grow right through things like concrete and asphalt. So capping the landfill with a clay liner is likely to leave it susceptible to damage as the knotweed breaks through. The article says most of the knotweed has been removed with a combination of herbicide application, drying out, and cutting - here's hoping they've done a thorough job.

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