Environmental Forum: Curbing Pesticide Myths

Companies in the lawn care industry have been coming under increasingly heavy attacks in recent months for pesticide use. In Massachusetts, TruGreen ChemLawn was named to the "Dirty Dozen" list – proclaiming it one of the 12 worst polluters in the commonwealth. The list is compiled annually by an alliance of environmental activist organizations that seek opportunities for publicity to further their extremist views. TruGreen ChemLawn, and other lawn care providers who safely apply pesticides and fertilizers, are being unfairly labeled as bad environmental citizens.

Companies that incorporate pesticides and fertilizers into their services actually take leading roles in protecting the environment. They actively support and develop sound environmental and regulatory policies and work to foster cooperative relationships with state and local agencies. Lawn care professionals are concerned with the environmentally responsible use of pesticides and fertilizers, and have their own environmental stewardship principles that dictate limited use of pesticides and fertilizers.

Lawn care providers’ top priorities when selecting treatments for their customers’ lawns are the safety of their customers, employees and environment. No green lawn is worth risking the health of those who might enjoy it.

Environmental activist groups across the country are attacking the use of pesticides without fully researching the manner in which they are used and disposed of by the lawn care industry. Not only are the pesticides and fertilizers used by the lawn care industry legal and approved for use by local and federal authorities, but also lawn care professionals are more likely than the average consumer to use them safely. In addition, the vast majority of lawn care professionals use an integrated pesticide program that considers the health of the green space and the surrounding environment.

Contrary to what most anti-pesticide groups want people to believe, the use of pesticides is necessary, and not merely for aesthetic purposes. Pesticides are a valuable tool that help ensure a healthy landscape, and their use protects the overall value and environmental soundness of a community. A dense turf area prevents soil erosion, cleans the air, filters surface water, reduces noise and adds value to residential and commercial properties.

However, there is no shortage of misinformation about the harmful effects of pesticides. Many groups opposed to fertilizer use cite the potential harm to the environment and those people using treated green spaces. Despite claims of pesticide dangers, numerous studies demonstrate how safe pesticides and fertilizers can be when implemented properly.

In one such study, Physicians and Scientists Talk Frankly about Pests, Pesticide Safety and Protecting Kids, Michael Goodman says, "There is no indication from studying years of scientific and medical evidence that appropriate and safe use and handling of pesticides poses a health threat to children." He goes further to say that, "banning pesticides may lead to serious public health consequences, such as increased risk of insect-borne or rodent-borne diseases."

Pesticide use is a necessary component to keeping green spaces and residential environments at their healthiest. It is the responsibility of lawn care professionals to continue communicating with legislators and the media in order to educate the public about their safe use. Many states are now beginning to enact anti-pesticide legislation, but these laws are misguided and will serve only to make it that much harder for lawn care professionals to do their jobs – keeping the country’s green spaces and recreational areas safe and enjoyable.

The lawn care industry is among the best environmental stewards currently working to maintain useful, safe and plentiful green spaces in our increasingly urban environment. As lawn care industry workers, we should be proud of our environmental accomplishments.

The Professional Lawn Care Association of American (PLCAA) is a trade association for residential and commercial lawn care professionals. Tom Delaney is PLCAA's vice president of government affairs and can be reached at 866/831-1109.