Re: Pesticide warnings ordered

[Guest guest]

In response to the good news about the banning of

certain pesticides. It is a start in the right

direction. As a child growing up in Texas I was

subjected to much pesticiding. My Father flew a crop

duster and DDT was only one of the pesticides over the

years I had to endure. He was also a pilot, and I

remember watching the streams from planes long after

they flew by and choking on the smell as it pilfered

down to earth. I have held a belief for a long time

that the more pesticide residual in the ground, as the

atmosphere heats up, over 90- 100 degree temps. the

pesticide would rise back into our enviroment. Just as

the effects of Toxins in the body are accumalitive, I

believe the Earth is a living entitiy and is being

wrongfully poisoned. If she (the earth) as we call

her, could talk, I bet she would be screaming in pain.

Our children are! We aren't listening to her natural

sounds that are being sent out in warning. Fish Kills,

Bird deaths, exotic migrations, decreased oxygen

levels, toxic water supplies.

This move is a step, a big step in the right

direction. I hope the letters of thanks go out to the

Government agency or agencies who regulate pesticides.

Carroll-Bower,NTMC

www.geocities.com/marbme12/NTMC.html

--- cavegrl777@... wrote:

> Pesticide warnings ordered By Pamela Batzel, Staff

> Writer.

>

>

> Under a new law, school districts can spray

> pesticides and herbicides only

> after attempting prevention and nontoxic approaches

> to curtail pests and

> weeds.

>

>

> Districts must also tell parents when they will

> spray the chemicals if

> parents request notification under the Pesticide

> Notification Act signed into

> law Thursday by Gov. Mark Schweiker.

>

>

> Proponents of the legislation celebrated the

> successful end to their

> nine-year quest.

>

>

> " I think it's a wonderful thing, " said Rep. Carole

> Rubley, R-157th, of

> Tredyffrin. " More and more people, especially

> children, are susceptible to

> these substances. "

>

>

> Rubley sponsored the House portion of the bill that

> focused on the

> notification, an aspect of the bill that

> particularly pleased

> Wendelgass, Pennsylvania director for Clean Water

> Action, and

>

> coordinator for the Campaign to Reduce Pesticide

> Exposure in Schools.

>

>

> Wendelgass, who has been a key proponent of the bill

> that will become

> effective in January, hopes it will lessen student

> illness and environmental

> pollution.

>

>

> " Studies have shown that many of the pesticides used

> in schools can have both

> short- and long-term health effects that range from

> headaches, nausea and

> diarrhea to cancer and birth defects, " said

>

> Wendelgass. Notification makes it easier for

> parents to identify whether a

> child gets ill from the chemicals, and to avoid

> them, he said.

>

>

> The law also requires that districts spray only when

> children will be out of

> the building or off school grounds for at least

> seven hours, or longer

> periods if prescribed by chemical labeling.

>

>

> At least six districts in Chester County have

> reported that they currently

> practice integrated pest management, the approach

> that favors prevention and

> nontoxic methods to curtail weeds and pests.

>

> The Downingtown Area School District made the

> transition three or four years

> ago, anticipating the new law, said Gil Lappano,

> director of facilities,

> planning and management.

>

>

> Food is sealed, trash is removed from the buildings,

> and openings are sealed.

> The district attacks wasps with wasp traps. Ants are

> sprayed with pesticides

> in contained areas, but only when children will be

> out of the building for at

> least 12 hours, he said. Commercially available

> herbicides are used on the

> fields. Oxford Area School District has been

> practicing integrated pest

> management for the past three to four years, said

> Madron, director of

> buildings and grounds.

>

>

> " We felt it was a much safer type of program, " said

> Madron. " We do little or

> no pesticides, " he added. Except for fertilizer, the

> district has not been

> treating its grounds, he said.

>

>

> The West Chester Area School District has been

> practicing integrated pest

> management since September 1999, and parents who

> request notification are

> notified, said Florence , spokeswoman for the

> district. Dawn Lawless,

> who teaches integrated pest management to elementary

> children at a

> Coatesville Area School District school, praised the

> new law.

>

>

> " The biggest concern with the use of pesticides and

> herbicides is just the

> overall multiplier effect, " said Lawless, who has a

> degree in environmental

> education. " We're constantly being exposed to

>

> several in combination.

>

>

> " Any time you can take a step to reduce (the

> chemicals) in the environment

> should have a positive effect on the people, the

> animals and plants (that)

> are in that environment, " she said.

>

>

> The Pennsylvania Parent Teacher Association,

> Pennsylvania School Boards

> Association, the Pennsylvania State Education

> Association and the Sierra Club

> were among the groups that have supported the

> legislation, according to

> Wendelgass.

>

>

> Sen. Greenleaf, a Republican from Montgomery

> County, sponsored the

> Senate portion of the bill that addressed integrated

> pest management.

>

>

> Companies and school districts that spray pesticides

> currently have to notify

> people named on a state hypersensitivity list who

> live or work within 500

> feet of the area to be sprayed.

>

>

> People must provide a physician's signature to the

> state's Department of

> Agriculture to be included on the list.

>

>

> Wendelgass said he hopes that school districts will

> do more than notify the

> parents who request notification.

>

>

> " We will be encouraging districts to notify all

> parents. "

>

>

> ©Daily Local News 2002

>

>

>

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=3909992 & BRD=1671 & PAG=461 & dept_id=177

>

> 82 & rfi=6

>

>

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