If blame is to be assessed, it must be placed squarely on the shoulders of the U.S.
regulatory system, which allows dangerous chemicals to be put into consumer prod-
ucts, does not require even minimal safety testing for the majority of chemicals cur-
rently in use, and has virtually no prohibitions in place to reduce exposure to
chemicals known to cause harm. The U.S. chemical industry must also take responsi-
bility for failing to replace chemicals of known toxicity with safer substitutes.
The American people deserve to be safe in their own homes, and should be able to
purchase and use products without unwittingly exposing themselves and their chil-
dren to substances that can cause cancer and disrupt development. There is solid evi-
dence that the federal government, the states, and the pesticide industry must take
immediate action to replace harmful chemicals with safe substitutes.
Lawn and Garden Pesticides
Patricia J. Wood, Executive Director of Grassroots Environmental Education, has
stated: ‘‘We are in the midst of a revolution in scientific understanding of the links
between environmental exposures and health, and pesticides appear to present signifi-
cant risks. With an abundance of safe pest controls available today, the routine use of
lawn care pesticides should not occur.’’^41
Background
Lawns are a standard feature of ornamental private and public gardens and land-
scapes in much of the world today. Lawns are created for aesthetic use in gardens and
for recreational use, including sports. They are typically planted near homes, often as
part of gardens, and are also used in other ornamental landscapes and gardens.
Americans keep lawns to provide themselves and their families with a cool green
oasis where they can play and relax. But dousing lawns with toxic pesticides means
that a space meant for families and pets can become a potent danger to health and
the environment.
Americans maintain over 32 million acres of lawns, with an average amount of five
to ten pounds of pesticides (counting active ingredients) used per acre per year. That
rate of pesticide use is more than three times higher than pesticide use on farms. It
means that we are exposing our children, our environment, and ourselves to the
unintended effects of as much as 200 million pounds of pesticides nationwide from
lawn care alone.^42
Health Dangers
Why should there be concern about this astronomical level of pesticide use? Obvi-
ously, reduced use of lawn and garden care pesticides could prevent many of the
thousands of pesticide poisoning that occur annually. But perhaps more importantly,
many of the pesticides in use today are associated with long-term human health
problems.
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