Is Vinegar Illegal?

by Els Cooperrider

Is vinegar illegal? Yes it is, if you are using it to kill weeds or other pests. So I was told by the Agricultural Commissioner of Mendocino County. How can this be, you might ask? Vinegar is probably in everyone's cupboard. Most of us consume it daily in our salads, pickles, and other condiments such as ketchup and mustard. But if the Ag Commissioner catches you using it to "mitigate a pest," be it weeds, insects, or molds, you may be cited and fined. The reason is that vinegar is not an EPA registered substance for pest control. Therefore it is illegal to use for that purpose. I was dumbfounded by this law. So I asked the Ag Commissioner this question, "If I have a Brussel's Sprout plant in my garden with a bunch of aphids on it, and I pull out the hose and blast it with water to dislodge the aphids, is that illegal?" Technically yes, he said. Water is not registered with the EPA for pest mitigation.

We discussed this some more. The Ag Commissioner warned me that vinegar is not as safe as I assume it to be. He even said that RoundUp was better and safer than vinegar, because we don't know enough about what the consequences of using vinegar will be.

I asked, "What about the consequences of using herbicides such as RoundUp, a known endocrine disrupter causing untold misery and illness?" He flatly denied such problems and reiterated that RoundUp is safe.

Is it any wonder that the Mendocino County Agriculture Commissioner's Office cannot or will not help rid the county of the herbicide Garlon, as requested by the County Board of Supervisors and the Forest Advisory Council?

The California Organic Farmers Organization lists vinegar as safe for the production of organic produce. It is legal to use as a soil amendment. Vinegar is an excellent weed killer for cracks in pavement and other difficult to weed places. It also acidifies your soil. What's more, vinegar is an awful lot cheaper than RoundUp. And water...?

(Els Cooperrider is a landscape designer and organic gardener.)

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Last Update: 2/7/97