Citizens Campaign for the Environment

CAMPAIGNS

Pesticide Free Schools

Children at risk
Pesticides are often used both indoors and outdoors at our schools, to kill insects, weeds, and fungus. Children are more sensitive to toxic exposure due their developing and smaller bodies. Children are therefore at an elevated risk to the dangers associated with pesticide exposure.

Pesticides and our children’s health
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Academy of Sciences, and American Public Health Association, among others, recognize the danger that pesticide exposure pose to our children’s health. The growing body of peer reviewed scientific evidence indicates that pesticide exposure can adversely affect a child's neurological, respiratory, immune, and endocrine system, even at low levels. Long-term exposure to pesticides has also been linked to cancer.

Health problems associated with short-term pesticide exposure include acute impacts, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, seizures and respiratory problems. Researchers have found that pesticide exposure can induce a poisoning effect linked to asthma. Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness in the nation, accounting for 14 million lost days of school annually. Despite this evidence, these toxic chemicals remain in widespread use in and around our schools.

Safer alternatives exist
Fortunately, schools can eliminate their use of hazardous pesticides while successfully and cost-effectively managing pest problems in school buildings and on school grounds. Numerous municipalities, school districts, individual schools, and some states, have chosen to adopt school pesticide policies that require a school to prohibit the use of toxic pesticides, and instead, use readily available and affordable non-toxic alternatives. For example, CCE supported successful Connecticut legislation in 2007 that banned pesticides in schools, grades K – 8!

Legislation to ban pesticides in schools
The Pesticide Free Schools Act (A. 10923), which would ban the use of toxic pesticides in school buildings and school grounds (K-12),was introduced by Assemblyperson Micah Kellner in the NYSAssembly during the 2008 legislative session. Now that the 2008 legislative session is over, CCE continues to work toward securing a senate majority sponsor and to build strong grassroots support for passage of the bill in 2009.

Children spend a significant amount of time in school. Banning toxic chemical use where our children learn and play will reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals. This reduction will protect their developing and vulnerable bodies to the harmful consequences of pesticide exposure. The New York State Legislature and the Governor must pass the Pesticide Free Schools Act to protect our children from pesticide exposure in our schools!

How you can help:
Call your New York State Senator, Assembly member, and Governor Paterson. Tell them:

Your name, address and town/city.
You urge them to support passage of the Pesticide Free Schools Act (A. 10923) in 2009.
Thank the receptionist for ensuring that your representative hears your concerns.

Contact your Senator:
Call the Senate switchboard, and ask to be connected to your Senator’s office:
(518) 455-2800

Not sure who your senator is? Click on the following link and type in your zip code to find out:
http://www.senate.state.ny.us/sdlookup.nsf/Public_search?OpenForm

Contact your Assembly member:
Call the Assembly switchboard, and ask to be connected to your Assembly member’s office: (518) 455-4100

Not sure who your Assembly member is? Click on the following link and type in your zip code to find out: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

Contact Governor Paterson: Call: (518) 474-8390

Please forward any response you receive to show email address, or call (516) 390-7150 --- it helps us track progress on the issue. Thanks!

Updated by bsmith 11/21/08