Child Safe Playing Fields

Child Safe Playing Fields Act Passes Assembly & Senate:
Urgent Action Needed to Ensure Governor Paterson Signs the Bill!

Join in asking Governor Paterson to sign the Child Safe Playing Fields Act (S.4983c/A.7937c)

MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT
The Child Safe Playing Fields Act
A.7937c- Englebright S.4983c- Foley

An act to amend the environmental conservation law and the education law, to ban the use of aesthetic pesticide application on school and day care grounds.

JUSTIFICATION
Pesticides are used outside at most schools in New York State, even with no evidence of need. A study by a previous NYS Attorney General indicated that 87% of schools use dangerous pesticides. 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. Short-term exposure can lead to headaches, dizziness, nausea, seizures, respiratory problems, and asthma attacks. Despite this evidence, pesticides remain in widespread use in school buildings and on school grounds throughout NYS. To help protect our kids, NYS should ban the use of pesticides on outdoor school grounds for grades K-12, as well as day care centers.

Pesticides disproportionately hurt our children. Children are uniquely vulnerable to pesticide exposures due to their physiology and rapid growth, and also because of their closer proximity to these pesticides during normal play. Children are also more susceptible to exposure due to their common hand to mouth activities. Leading medical experts continue to urge us to reduce pesticide use as much as possible, especially on lawns and playing fields.

Effective and affordable alternatives exist. There is clear science showing that pests and weeds can be successfully managed with readily available and affordable nontoxic alternatives, while meeting people’s aesthetic expectations. Numerous municipalities, school districts, individual schools, and some states have chosen to adopt policies that require a school to prohibit the use of toxic pesticides. Time and time again, schools that have eliminated toxic pesticide use are reporting effective pest management and significant long- term financial savings.

CITIZENS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (CCE)
STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE ADOPTION OF THE
CHILD SAFE PLAYING FIELDS ACT
(A.7937c-ENGLEBRIGHT / S.4983c-FOLEY)

TAKE ACTION NOW!
Email or call (518-474-8390) Governor Paterson. Tell him to sign the Child Safe Playing Fields Act (S. 4983c/A. 7937c).
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pesticide-free-schools.asp

On behalf of every child made safer you are held in gratitude.
Rose Marie Raccioppi
http://www.apogeelearning.com