For Immediate Release: Monday, October 27, 2014
Montgomery County Council Vice President George Leventhal, who chairs the Council’s Health and Human Services Committee, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, will introduce Bill 52-14 that seeks to prohibit use of certain pesticides on County lawns and on County properties. The bill is based upon growing concerns that long-term exposure to certain pesticides may lead to health risks.
The bill is co-sponsored by Councilmember Marc Elrich. A public hearing will be held on the bill on a date yet to be determined.
Bill 52-14 also would require posting of notice for certain lawn applications of pesticides and would require the County to adopt an integrated pest management program for certain County-owned property.
Some studies have linked pesticide exposure to the health problems including birth defects; numerous cancers, including non-Hodgkins lymphoma; Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.
Due to the fact that the vast majority of states have preempted local jurisdictions from regulating pesticides, there are only two examples of local jurisdictions that have banned pesticide use on public and private property. The City of Takoma Park in Montgomery County and Ogunquit, Maine, have approved regulations on certain pesticides. Several local jurisdictions have enacted legislation or adopted administrative policies related to pesticide reduction on public property.
The most comprehensive pesticide restriction law in North America took effect in the Canadian province of Ontario in 2009. The Ontario law contains several classifications of pesticides, and generally bans the cosmetic use of more than 100 pesticides. Six other provinces have followed Ontario in restricting cosmetic use of pesticides.
“This bill is aimed at protecting the health of families, and especially children, from the unnecessary risks associated with the use of certain cosmetic pesticides that have been linked to a wide-range of diseases, and which provide no health benefits,” said Council Vice President Leventhal. “This is a bill that balances the rights of homeowners to maintain a beautiful lawn with the rights of residents who prefer to not be exposed to chemicals that have known health effects. I view this bill as a starting point in our discussion, which can be tweaked along the way.”
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Release ID: 14-321
Media Contact: Neil Greenberger 240-777-7939, Delphine Harriston 240-777-7931