With all the talk about ballast water regulation, why is no one talking about banning contaminated fill? This article in The Post-Star points out one of the big oversights of public works departments across the U.S. (or maybe the world? I'm not sure) - transport of soil contaminated with invasive plants propagules (seeds, rhizomes, bulbs, etc.). In many cases those responsible for the transport just aren't aware of the dangers of doing this, in other cases they may even be unaware of what is in their dirt piles. Luckily for Warren County, New York, their highway departments are getting educated about which invasive plants to look for and how to deal with them when they're discovered. Now what about all those private construction and earth-moving companies? This one website will set you up with a partner whether you want to get rid of fill or receive some, and there are lots of classified ads out there too - is anyone in the U.S. regulating this?
If you own a conscientious company that deals with soil transport, feel free to chime in here and let us know what it takes to do it right.
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