I live in the most heavily sprayed neighbourhood in Moncton and as I type this letter, the chemical fumes are coming in my windows. The companies that spray these chemicals try to convince you that it is safe to walk on once it is dry. Well why can I smell the fumes for three days after? Some of the companies that performed safety tests on these pesticides in order to get government approval, have been found guilty of falsifying their data in order to make the chemical appear safe. The law states that the lawn-care company must put a sign on the lawn after spraying, but who knows what that sign means? I have often walked my dog through the grass on a corner property (the grass between the street and the sidewalk is city property) and then discovered when I turned the corner that the warning sign had been placed in the opposite corner of the lot. This is lazy and thoughtless on the part of the lawn-care companies. Consider this fact: The National Cancer Institute has found that children living in homes where house and garden pesticides are used have up to nine times greater chance of developing childhood leukemia. Are you willing to take that risk just to achieve the 'perfect' lawn?
July 17, 1996
Dear Sir/Madam:
I am writing to state my concerns about the spraying of pesticides by commercial lawn-care companies. I moved to Kingswood Park two years ago and one of the first things I noticed was that I had never seen so many trucks delivering pesticides in my life. If I had known this neighbourhood was going to be the most heavily sprayed area of Southeastern New Brunswick, I would have looked elsewhere for a house.
Your company recently sprayed my property with "Dursban" by accident when one of your employees misread the address on my house. I take pride in having a chemical-free property and enjoy organic gardening and feeding dozens of neighbourhood birds. I consider my property to be a sanctuary for birds and I'm sure they return the favour by keeping the insect populations in balance. Within minutes of the spray being applied to my lawn, there were birds feeding on the grass. I don't know the exact toxicologic effects of Dursban but as with virtually all chemical pesticides, there would be carcinogenic and mutagenic effects.
I feel that your company and others should take the responsibility to be more environmentally conscious as well as more safety conscious. We are already inundated with chemicals in our food, air and water and they all contribute to damage to our health and the health of the planet as a whole. There are growing numbers of people suffering from chemical sensitivities and lawn-care companies do not seem to consider that they may be causing reactions in sensitive people in the neighbourhood.
The following is a list of concerns and suggestions for you to consider:
The signs that are placed on lawns after spraying are next to useless (although they do alert me steer my dog away from the grass). The sign is only placed on one corner of the property so that a person often does not see it until he/she has crossed the property. What about the adjacent neighbours in back whose kids are playing in the back yard but don't see the sign out front? For that matter, there is nothing on those signs that conveys the message to young children who cannot read! These children are the most susceptible because they are playing in the grass and then putting hands and other objects in their mouths. In my opinion you should place a brightly coloured skull and crossbones sign on all four sides of the property.
Secondly, the homeowner should be better informed about the dangers of pesticides. My neighbour usually removes the warning sign immediately and then proceeds to walk around the lawn doing her gardening. I have been told by your company that one can walk on the lawn as soon as it is dry, but I don't buy that. I can smell the noxious odour of the spray for about 24-36 hrs after spraying. If I can smell it, then it is still on the surface to be absorbed through skin or inhaled.
The spray should only be applied when absolutely necessary, not just because the wealthy homeowner ordered the "give me the works" lawn care package. I have not applied a drop or granule of chemical other than lime on my lawn in the last two years and it is perfectly healthy. Yes I have a small number of dandelions, clover, insects, etc. and I don't mind a bit. I cut dandelions before they go to seed and I pry out the larger ones with a screwdriver. Works for me. I should also tell you that I use a mulching mower so that I contribute absolutely zero bags of grass clippings to the landfill site. Since all the nutrients are recycled continuously, the lawn needs minimal amounts of fertilizer in the form of compost top dressing.
I have enclosed some photocopied material concerning the problems with chemical reliant lawn care as well as the methods for weaning lawns off chemicals. I hope you will take the time to read it.
Sincerely,
Doug Teed