Do you have neighbors who spray their lawns with Monsanto’s Roundup and other toxic chemicals? Worried that the park your child plays in is routinely sprayed with toxic chemicals?
What if you and other concerned citizens in your neighborhood could start a campaign that would lead to a ban on pesticides in your town or state?
TAKE ACTION: Put Your City on the Map! Sign up to learn more about how you can make your community pesticide-free.
Beyond Pesticides and Organic Consumers Association have created a “Map of Local Pesticide Reform Policies,” a continuously updated online resource that provides names and locations of cities and states that have passed pesticide policies. The map includes the type of policy passed, a short description of the scope of the policy, and a link to view the entire text.
Currently, the map spotlights over 115 communities in 21 states that have taken local action to protect their communities from the adverse effects of pesticides by substituting a range of alternative tactics, from eliminating highly toxic chemicals to the adoption of organic practices.
As the map reveals, this is a fight we can win. Take the passage of Montgomery County’s (Maryland) lawn care Bill 52-14, and a similar law passed in South Portland, Maine. Both of these laws were initiated by a grassroots coalition of business leaders, and local and national health and environmental advocates. These broad alliances succeeded in creating the largest communities in the country to stop hazardous pesticide use on public and private property, and resulted in advancing the adoption of organic and alternatives pest- and weed-control practices.
This is an important moment. Chemical industry lobbyists fear that growing recognition of pesticide hazards, and the availability of organic alternatives will inspire other localities to enact similar legislation. There is no question that a transition to ecologically friendly land management is taking hold.
What if you live in a state that prohibits local governments from adopting stronger pesticide regulations that those already existing at the state level? You can still work to eliminate the use of pesticides on public property, which may inspire action at the state level to roll back preemption and permit a Montgomery-style ordinance.
If you’re interested in getting active in your local government around pesticide reform, sign up on this page. We’ll send you some resources to help you get started, and connect you with others in your community who may want to work with you.
