Attorney General Eliot Spitzer Reports Unneeded Use Of Toxins Threaten City Kids

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Spitzer: Unneeded Use Of Toxins Threaten City Kids

(Albany-AP, August 20, 2002) - City children are unnecessarily being exposed

to widespread and hazardous pesticides at public housing, schools and parks,

according to a report from state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer released

Tuesday.

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/environment/pest_control_public_housing.pdf

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As part of the study, Spitzer also settled cases against 12 of 73 stores

surveyed where his investigators found unregistered pesticides being sold.

The stores agreed to rid their shelves of the toxins and pay fines of $2,000

to $25,000. Spitzer's study evaluated the hazards faced by urban children,

who he said spend 90 percent of their time at home, school and the local

park. The study was done in New York City, Yonkers, Albany, Syracuse and

Buffalo.

" It is entirely possible to control pest problems without resorting to the

use of toxic pesticides, " Spitzer said. " With children's health at stake,

managers of these facilities and residents should make every effort to

eliminate pest problems without using toxic pesticides. "

An industry group, however, says the report by Spitzer, who is seeking

re-election in November, is alarmist and based on obsolete information. The

data was from 2000-01.

" The attorney general's report is out of date, " said of

Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, a pesticide manufacturers'

trade group based in Washington, D.C. " They cause fear and do very little

public good. "

said chemicals are a proven element in a pest control plan that should

include cleaning buildings. He said very few schools spray anymore. Instead,

most schools use pastes, gels and baits out of reach of children while parks

often use granular pesticides.

" The public demands their children be protected from insects, cockroaches

and spiders ... it is an important part of protecting children's health, "

said.

A longtime advocate for ridding schools of pesticide spraying, however,

supports Spitzer's findings.

" I think it's dynamite that somebody would pull it all together: schools,

homes and parks, " said Barnett whose Health Schools Network

organization has long sought to reduce pesticide use at schools.

She said greater investment by government is needed to keep pests out of

schools and housing to help avoid the need for chemicals to kill them.

" The very steps one takes to pestproof buildings without chemicals - such as

fixing leaks and holes - also improves the overall quality, safety and

livability of urban residences, " said Audrey Thier of the Environmental

Advocates group.

Spitzer's report found:

Eight of 10 housing developments (two in each of the surveyed cities)

regularly applied pesticides inside apartments and in common areas, instead

of when the need arises.

Sixty-nine percent of residents who responded to questions applied

additional pesticides in their apartments on their own and a third did it

weekly.

Ten of 14 of schools used pesticides. New York City and Yonkers schools used

restricted pesticides that may only be applied by professionals.

" Children's developing organ systems are highly vulnerable to pesticides, "

said Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Center for Children's Health and

the Environment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. " This path-breaking

report is one of the very first to focus on pest control policies and

practices that effect the cumulative pesticide exposure of urban children

the places where they spend most of their time. "

Landrigan was scheduled to participate in a Spitzer news conference Tuesday.

" Reducing pesticide use does not mean increasing pests, " said Pam

Hadad-Hurst of the New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. " We

have identified proven techniques to eliminate pests without using toxic

pesticides. "

Bills in the Legislature would reduce the use of pesticides in cities and

require more applications to be done by professionals.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. .)

Last Updated: Aug 20, 2002