So there’s a tree growing in my back yard and I really want to get rid of it: Its seeds are invading my lawn and normal weedkiller doesn’t kill them. I was hoping not just to cut it down and try and dissolve or dig up the roots, but actively kill it.
I had thought that cutting away the bark in a circle would prevent the leaves from receiving nutrients, but thus far it hasn’t seemed to make a difference. My sister-in-law said that copper nails would do the trick, but I’m not sure. I’ve thought about RoundUp, but haven’t tried it yet.
(This tree is more weed than tree. A plumber I talked to about its roots growing into my sewer line said that it’s actually illegal now to sell or buy them in California.)
Cut it off at the stump then pour bleach on the stump.
My mum had me do this to a tree she didn’t want in her garden.
She seemed happy with the results.
Because that is not what implies. Otherwise you could get fined for a dog pooping on your lawn, a leaf falling, or working in your own flower bed. According to that, you couldn’t do anything on your property that moves around common materials. Now lets hear why you think that bleach on a stump is so bad other than the fact that it sounds non-crunchy. You really need to think through individual situations rather than citing vaguely similar laws.
It clearly states that disposing of bleach on private property in such a way as for it to become a pollutant is illegal. That means that there is some level of bleach that you cannot dump on your property without violating this law. You obviously don’t know how to read a statute.
What that level is, we don’t know, because you (with your obviously complete lack of knowledge on the topic) have failed to post a cite to anything which indicates what an acceptable level is.
I’m sorry. Which law school did you go to? Remind me not to recommend it to anyone.
It’s obvious you’ve never even done a cursory study of enivronmental or hazardous waste laws and regulations. You’re the one who needs to think through lecturing people on topics that you know nothing about. :rolleyes:
Now, if anyone who has actually studied the issue would care to clarify the laws governing bleach disposal, that would be helpful.
The law did not say “disposal”, it says “discharge”. That means if you pour it out on the ground around the tree, you have discharged it. Now, if you injected it directly into the tree, you might avoid prosecution; maybe.
There is some amount of bleach and some manner of bleach which you are not allowed to discharge in Big Bear. Pouring bleach on a stump is discharing an amount of bleach is a specific manner. Is it an amount necessary to violate Big Bear’s ordinance? I don’t know. Is it in a manner such as to violate Big Bear’s ordinance? I don’t know.
I didn’t claim that it was definitely illegal to do what you recommend. I asked whether it was illegal or not, I stated that I’d be surprised if it was legal, and I posted a cite to a law which regulates the discharge of bleach onto private property. That’s all I did. And for that I get a snotty response from Shagnasty and get called High and Mighty by you. :rolleyes: Ok, my last post at Shagnasty was snotty in return, but it’s not like I wasn’t provoked.
Look, the only person qualified to definitively settle this is someone who’s studied environmental laws and regulations. I am merely pointing out that it’s a possible issue.
On a more general note, I suggest that anyone contemplating this action contact their city/county to determine whether it’s allowed.
On preview, I see that I have been using the terms “disposal” and “discharge” interchangeably. If that is the source of confusion, then please substitute the word disposal with the word discharge in all my posts.
I didn’t go to law school. I am much too smart for that:
Step back from the legalize and imagine what your cite could mean:
“D. Chemicals, degreasers, bleach, steam cleaning or pressure washing wastewater;”
That seems to prohibit outdoor bug killers, car washing, all water dumping, bug spray, and everything else. “Chemical” is a little vague isn’t it? You can cite something like that but it doesn’t mean anything. Using bleach outside isn’t disposing of it just like using any “chemical” (who writes this crap?) isn’t in normal quantities.
Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Maybe it has a well-defined meaning within the context of this law. That’s why one generally looks to people who have actually studied the subject for a definitive answer. But of course, you, who have never studied the subject in any fashion, can make authoritative statements about what the law actually means.
I see. Chemical is vague, but “normal quantities” has a clearly defined meaning that includes dumping bleach on a stump?
Usually, environmental laws define acceptable levels in specific quantities that are based on the properties of the individual substance. This law clearly states on its face that there is some amount of bleach you are not allowed to discharge on private property. Period. The amount of bleach is going to be different than the amount of animal poop or concrete or anything else. That’s the way environmental laws generally work. Unless you can show that a bottle of bleach is less than the acceptable limit of bleach allowed, then you haven’t proven that it’s not illegal to dump bleach on a stump.
How do you propose that someone go through life without a lawyer on Siamese twin duty if all of the everyday, mundane topics require someone with highly specialized knowledge to understand? I am about to take a shower using various chemicals that will make its way into my personal septic system and then into the ground. I think most of them are Ok (bleach from the washer goes there after all :eek: ) but how do I KNOW that without specialized training?
Hmmm… let’s see. I already gave a suggestion in this thread about how to determine if this was legal in your city. It’s called calling up the city and asking them.
But, I’ll give you a general piece of advice. If you are planning to dump any chemical onto your property, it’s a good idea to check with the city to see if that’s legal. If it’s a chemical you normally wouldn’t rub into your eyes or sprinkle on your food, it’s an even better idea to check with the city.
As for what goes into your septic tank, I have no idea if it’s legal. But if you purchased your laundry detergent from some guy selling it out of his trunk, you might want to check with the city again. If you didn’t, and you’re still worried, you could always… hmm, I wonder what you could do.
And finally, it’s not possible for everyone to be aware of every law. Based on my own expertise, I suggested that this might be an issue and that more expertise is needed. Then you, without any expertise whatsoever, decided to argue with me. Even though I posted a cite, and even though you have nothing to back you up. If you want general suggestions on how to go through life, then I suggest that you not argue about things you have no knowledge about. For example, you might not want to lecture a person on how to interpret a statute unless you actually can make a legal argument about its interpretation.
Look guys, forget the bleach and the ins and outs of the law.
There’s some perfectly good stuff at your local hardware store that will dissolve/eat-away stumps. Just have a look around and you’ll see somebody has always thought of another way to do the same thing; no legal reviewing required :rolleyes: .
Good luck.
Most of those things are illegal in California if waste is not disposed off properly. For example, it is illegal (no cite, since I don’t remember if it’s city, county or state level) for me to wash my car with anything but water and let the soap-contaminated water flow into a storm drain or ground. You can’t just dump water that is potentially contaminated by something because you could be contaminating the ground water. I would assume using bleach outdoors is a big no-no as well.