"I've worked on river restoration, I've worked on water quality issues," he said. "And it's my impression that . . . all of these actions have consequences."

When chemicals are used on the land, there can be long-term implications along the food chain, with rain and runoff carrying herbicides into streams and rivers, he said. Certain chemicals that the Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate are turning up in drinking water, and he believes some may be hazardous.

For example, pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs can leave the body as waste and end up in rivers, he said. Surface water systems are "incredibly vulnerable," he said. People should assume surface water, like water from rivers and reservoirs, is contaminated, he said.

McMahon said herbicides are not measured in drinking water. "They've actually just begun to really study the unregulated chemicals," he added.

"To my way of thinking, adding chemicals to the environment just isn't called for," he said.

McMahon said treating 20,000 acres of land in Utah yearly with herbicides is "just outrageous."

However, Bryant said the proposals haven't raised much of a ruckus.

Few members of the public attended hearings in the West, including Utah, she said. "It isn't a highly controversial issue," other than the fact that use of chemicals is "always a controversial issue," she said.

To learn how to comment on the draft environmental statement, contact the BLM public affairs office at 202-452-5130.

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com