Grass Sports Fields and Pesticides
Last week, a concerned mother pulled her daughter from a Little League game in Middletown when she saw the little yellow signs warning of a toxic pesticide spraying from earlier that day. The sign's warning clearly said to stay off the field for 24 hours. Extensive research has shown that many lawn care chemicals spread or sprayed on our sports fields and lawns are hazardous to people. But our children and pets are the most vulnerable.
This incident has sparked a lot of questions:
Q: Sports are important for our kids. How can we have decent playing fields if we don't put pesticides and chemicals on them?
A: Most of us agree that playing sports is an important part of children's lives, but having good grass fields and keeping our kids save from toxic pesticides are not mutually exclusive.
Q. What are some of the health issues associated with different lawn chemicals?
A. Of 30 commonly used lawn pesticides, 19 have studies linking them with cancer, 13 are linked with birth defects, 21 with reproductive effects, 15 with neurotoxicity or abnormal brain development.
Q: I've been told that Middletown was doing some of their fields organically but there were complaints that they were in bad condition so they went back to using synthetic chemicals and pesticides on them.
A: "Organic" or "nontoxic" fields does NOT mean merely cutting the grass and spreading some organic fertilizer on it. A true organic/nontoxic program requires a maintenance staff be properly trained by someone who has been educated to do fields in this manner. It takes time, a change in mindset and a change in overall practices. If a public works or parks department isn't going put in the effort to do the fields properly, the program is sure to fail.
Q: Do any other towns do this successfully?
A: Yes! Branford and Cheshire are a couple nearby towns that have been doing this for many years. They have had consultants come in who understand and have experience transitioning fields from traditional methods and have thoroughly retrained their staff. They are very proud to have playing fields that sustain their busy sports programs and are not exposing their kids to toxic lawn pesticides. Springfield MA just finished a large pilot project on a number of their public grass areas and are working to expand it and transition all their parks and sports fields from traditional maintenance to nontoxic practices.
Q. Can Middletown change over their field maintenance to nontoxic practices?
A: Absolutely! We can have healthy nontoxic sports fields AND healthy kids. We are responsible for the wellbeing of all our children and we should be taking steps to protect them. It's the right thing to do!
Rebecca MacLachlan-Middletown resident
Jerry Silbert, M.D., Director of Watership Partnership
4 comments:
I have a question . Do theses organic towns also have artificial Turf Fields?
LAWNS ARE SAFER FOR CHILDREN WHEN PESTICIDES ARE USED !
MYTHS ABOUT PESTICIDES ! ― MacLachlan is WRONG ! Concerns about the use of pest control products stem from Non-Expert Non-Scientific Pesticide-Hating Fanatics. Any prohibition against pest control products is NOT justified because strict regulations based on scientific research already protect our children, our health, and our environment. SAYING YES TO PESTICIDES WILL KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE AND WILL PROTECT THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT !
http://pesticidetruths.com/toc/myth-busting-prohibition/
CHILDREN ARE SAFE WITH PESTICIDES ! ― Pest control products represent NO threat to children since they are scientifically-safe and will cause NO harm. There is NO need for screeching-fanatics to recklessly conspire to impose arbitrary prohibition against pest control products used in the urban landscape. Leading scientific experts, like Dr Katherine von Stackelberg, say they would NOT hesitate to let their children play on a lawn where lawn care products have been used as long as the products were applied according to label directions. http://tinyurl.com/mw2fu7u According to another leading expert, Dr James S Bus, there is NO evidence that common lawn herbicides like 2,4-D cause cancer or any health problems in children. Dr Bus has also stated that there is NO regulatory agency in the world that regards pest control products like 2,4-D as a threat to children’s health. http://wp.me/p1jq40-7W0 According to yet another leading expert, Mr William Jordan, Deputy Director, Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ), parents DO NOT need to worry as long as a pest control product is used correctly. The EPA has spent a lot of time looking at products like 2,4-D, and has concluded that it is safe for kids. http://tinyurl.com/pe6x3h9 Allegations by screeching-fanatics about the imaginary danger to children are totally false, and are untrue mis-representations merely designed to alarm and enrage the public. SAYING YES TO PESTICIDES WILL KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE AND WILL PROTECT THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT !
CHILDREN ARE SAFER WITH PESTICIDES ! ― Any form of prohibition actually harms children and represents a danger to children ! Because of prohibition, children are forced to play in #@!!% dangerous and pest-infested garbage dumps ! http://wp.me/P1jq40-44g http://wp.me/P1jq40-4z3 http://wp.me/p1jq40-7C4 In essence, children are at risk from dangerous playing surfaces which are created by #@!!% pesticide bans ! For example, in Hamilton, Ontario, children cannot play on the grass because of the proliferation of weeds. http://tinyurl.com/qh5e7ve In jurisdictions like Wallingford, Connecticut, there is a fear of litigation with pesticide-free playing surfaces. Clovers and dandelions have been attracting bees ... what if children get stung and what if they are allergic ?!?! http://tinyurl.com/o6tx843 Clover attracts bees that can harm children and kill people. Clover attracts killer bees. For people who are allergic to bee stings, a sting may trigger a dangerous anaphylactic reaction that is potentially deadly. Additionally, honey bee stings will release pheromones that prompt other nearby bees to attack. NO ONE wants this #@!!% dangerous ban nonsense that places children at risk ! SAYING YES TO PESTICIDES WILL KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE AND WILL PROTECT THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT !
http://pesticidetruths.com/2016/05/21/glyphosate-herbicide-will-not-cause-cancer-victory-against-terrorists-proposal-for-prohibition-against-glyphosate-herbicide-stopped-in-the-european-union-real-trends-against-pe/
Dare To Defy The Pesticide-Hating Fanatics By Exploring The Whole Truth From An Independent Perspective ... http://pesticidetruths.com/ WILLIAM H GATHERCOLE AND NORAH G
So-called organic towns are often forced to spend millions of dollars on artificial playing fields. With anti-pesticide prohibition, it has become impossible to maintain a natural grass on areas like sports fields. Consequently, natural grass sports fields are being replaced by exorbitantly expensive and dangerous artificial/synthetic grass. The real risks of artificial/synthetic grass have been overlooked in the unscientific panic about pest control products. When it comes to pest control products, government officials can learn a lot from the experience of those who have gone before ― if the goal is to reduce real and verifiable risks, promote a more natural environment, and encourage healthy activities ― prohibiting pest control products seems a strange way to go about it when switching to artificial/synthetic grass. There are real risks when using artificial/synthetic grass. Here are examples ― • Exorbitant costs of installation • Heat effects leading to health risk since surface temperatures are much higher • Higher costs not considered for grooming, brooming, and repairs • Higher incidences of non-contact injuries • Increased abrasions that lead to infections • Potential environmental clean-up costs • Repeated disposal in landfills • Toxic chemical and toxin exposures on fields, and the risks to children • Toxic chemicals and toxins disbursed from field, such as zinc and other compounds, that can potentially run-off at levels that are above ground-water standards. Artificial/synthetic grass is exorbitantly expensive and dangerous ! http://wp.me/p1jq40-7GS Dare To Defy The Pesticide-Hating Fanatics By Exploring The Whole Truth From An Independent Perspective ... http://pesticidetruths.com/ WILLIAM H GATHERCOLE AND NORAH G
Well, how can you argue with that?
Post a Comment