weedspraying the trackbed with pesky pesticides

An item we stumbled upon recently was this about the controversy that the state-owned Alaska Railroad has faced from public opposition in recent years to herbicides which it uses, like most other railways in the world, to keep its trackbed free of weeds. "The railroad has attempted to use various other methods of controlling weeds for decades from using steam to physically pulling up the plants, but such methods have proven insufficient."

While the desire to keep the environment pure is understandable, it seems like excessive concern given how widespread their use is, including by domestic gardeners.