For Immediate Release: Thursday, November 14, 2019
Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is mailing information to households and businesses throughout the County to explain the provisions of the County’s pesticide law. The pesticide law, which was approved by the County Council in 2015 and upheld by a ruling of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals in May 2019, restricts the use of certain pesticides and herbicides on private lawns, playgrounds, mulched recreation areas and private childcare facilities.
The County’s pesticide law aims to protect families, pets and the environment from the harmful effects of synthetic chemicals in the air, water and soil.
Homeowners, property managers and landscapers should familiarize themselves with the requirements of the law. The law affects property owners and professional landscapers equally, so future contracts for lawn care should only provisions that include the use of organic pesticides or herbicides.
If homeowners are still in possession of pesticides that are now banned, they may safely dispose of those pesticides at the household hazardous waste collection site of the Shady Grove Transfer Station in Derwood.
The DEP brochure detailing the provisions of the pesticides law will soon be getting to residents and businesses. The mailer is printed in English and Spanish. Translations are downloadable online in Amharic, Chinese, French and Korean.
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Release ID: 19-384
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-777-6532