Impact of the Healthy Schools ActAlthough many of California’s largest school districts have moved to reduce the use
of dangerous pesticides since passage of the Healthy Schools Act, fifty-four active pes-
ticide ingredients that are known or suspected carcinogens, reproductive or develop-
mental toxins, endocrine disrupters, or acute toxins and/or cholinesterase inhibitors
may still be in use in and around California schools. This is twelve more active ingre-
dients than districts reported using in 1999.
Furthermore, a re-survey found that by late January 2002—one year after the
Healthy Schools Act went into effect and almost six months after the first full school
year under the act began—one-third of California school districts were not in com-
pliance with the act’s parental notification requirements. This deficiency deprives
parents of important information regarding their children’s safety and health.
Moreover, many school districts that complied with notification requirements were still
unable or unwilling to produce records concerning pesticide use and application. The ease
of finding out which and how frequently pesticides are applied and how many parents are
registered for notification before each application varied greatly among California’s school
districts. For example, the Long Beach Unified district returned the survey almost blank,
while the Elk Grove Unified and San Juan Unified districts required nearly two months of
follow-up calls to return even the most basic elements of requested information.^32
One need not be a rocket scientist to reach the undeniable conclusion that despite
a ballyhooed law, dangerous pesticides use continues to threaten children’s health in
California schools.Pesticide Regulation in OhioIn Ohio, the law requires only that commercial applicators post signs when a lawn
pesticide has been applied, be it an herbicide, insecticide, or fungicide. Some Ohio school
systems have adopted practices that reflect concern about children’s exposure to toxic sub-
stances. Yet, a survey found that Ohio schools use very poisonous chemicals to control
merenuisancepestssuchasantswithoutwarningstudentsandparentswhenpesticides
are applied, and they are relatively careless about when the pesticides are applied.
In May 2003, an exterminator sprayed weed killer around Madison Middle School
in Madison, Ohio. As a result, fresh spring air pouring into the sixth- and seventh-
grade classroom windows became tainted with the acrid smell of Formula 190, send-
ing one teacher home and forty-two nauseated and dizzy children to the hospital. A
new pesticide agent has been hired, all work must occur on weekends, and indoor
spraying must occur in summer. Although written standards of pest control have not
been yet adopted, all work must be scheduled through the maintenance supervisor.^33The Washington State LawSchool districts throughout the state of Washington routinely use pesticides linked
to cancer, nervous system damage, reproductive harm, and hormone disruption.128 | Pesticides