Lawn & Landscape Magazine, July 16, 2007

THE YEAR OF EMOTIONALLY DRIVEN PESTICIDE ISSUES

[Rachel's introduction: The embattled pesticide industry's perspective: "Precautionary principle-based proposals continue to be introduced in state legislatures along with bills for 'toxic reduction,' local authority, biomonitoring and 'sustainability.' Such bills are driven by an active and vocal minority and have generally lacked any scientific foundation."]

By RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment)

Though we are just past the halfway mark in 2007, it is not too early, from a state and local policy perspective, to label this as the year of emotion. What does that label mean in practical terms? In state houses, county board rooms and town halls emotionally-driven public policy has trumped science and fact this year with respect to pesticide and fertilizer availability for professionals and homeowners. While momentum against science-based policy making has been building steadily for about three years, it is safe to say 2007 will be remembered as the year emotion and political expediency eclipsed science and common sense.

State Issues

As of this writing, nine state legislatures are still in session and RISE has been tracking some 521 bills in 41 states -- with focus on more than 200 bills with the potential to impact pesticide and fertilizer availability and use. Precautionary principle-based proposals continue to be introduced in state legislatures along with bills for "toxic reduction," local authority, biomonitoring and "sustainability." Such bills are driven by an active and vocal minority and have generally lacked any scientific foundation.

This year saw much "feel good" legislation addressing a phantom problem and will ultimately have little or no measurable impact. Good examples are state proposals to restrict or ban phosphorus fertilizers or regulate their content in Florida and Wisconsin -- other sources of phosphorus in water have not been considered, nor has the biological plausibility of asserted "harms." Even state-specific university turf research is being deliberately ignored.

On the pesticide front, the eastern United States has seen the most action with Connecticut expanding its ban on school pesticide use to include playgrounds and playing fields for grades kindergarten through eighth grade. New York, Rhode Island and Washington contemplated similar bills for day care centers and schools.

Lawn and landscape professionals will continue to see proposals impacting product choice for the remainder of this year and into 2008 in -- New York, Minnesota, Oregon, Maine, Tennessee, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California and Washington.

Local Issues

While many in the U.S. lawn and landscape industries continue to monitor Canadian bans and restrictions on product use, Canadian-style local proposals are here in the lower 48 and have morphed into all sorts of policies. The village of Schaghticoke, N.Y., earlier this year passed an ordinance requiring a fee and permit for each and every pesticide application, even though such laws are illegal because the state has a pesticide preemption law. Westchester and Suffolk Counties in N.Y. continue to contemplate bans on phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers used on lawns despite university research specific to their geography showing such bans are unnecessary. The debate about the benefits of urban turf has been mostly one-sided at the local level with detractors winning the day.

What Can You Do?

Given the number of state bills and the possibility of local policies in some 85,000 municipalities, everyone in our industry needs to actively monitor what is happening where they live and operate. One good first step is to get to know your local elected officials and their voting records; another good step is to become aware of your town and county meeting agendas and plan to attend periodically during the year. Also, contact RISE when you learn about a state or local proposal with the potential to impact your product choice.

Each of us has a role to play in balancing the public debate and ensuring science and not emotion drives good public policy. Drop us an e-mail at grassroots@pestfacts.org or contact Elizabeth Grotos, RISE grassroots manager at egrotos@pestfacts.org.

Copyright 1997-2007, GIE Media, Inc.