<font color=blue>INDUSTRY BUZZ </font> A Look at Some State-Specific Issues

Last month’s column  brought quite a response from the anti-pesticide community. As you might imagine, I received several thoughtful e-mails from reasonable people expressing their concerns and questions about the safety of lawn care products along with several personally insulting e-mails full of the usual activist dogma and bile. These e-mails clearly illustrate the challenges our industry is facing – there is little middle ground among those with an opinion – consumers are either for or against the technology and products used on lawns and landscapes. Also, our detractors are way ahead of us in disseminating information to support their cause, with much of it based on just enough fact and plenty of fiction to raise doubt and fear. As you read this column every month, I urge you to think about what you can do to better educate your customers, co-workers, family and friends about the products you use and why you use them. Ultimately, each of us is responsible for ensuring the products we count on remain available and they are used safely and responsibly.

Here at RISE we’re taking our responsibility to ensure the products you count on remain available in the marketplace very seriously – it’s our mission. We’ve hired a new grassroots manager, Stacey Pine, who will be developing and implementing our program to manage local issues. We’ll have more to tell you in future columns about what we’re doing and how you can help. In the mean time, I urge you to take an interest in local politics where you work and live. Policy proposals move very quickly at the local level and tonight’s town council hearing can easily become tomorrow’s ordinance banning product uses by professionals and homeowners. As an industry we’ve got to be more active in learning about such proposals and acting before they’re on the books.

We’re almost half way through the year and some state legislatures have already finished their business – many of the most onerous proposals about the use of pesticides and phosphorous fertilizer ran out of time during 2006 sessions. However, other state legislatures, including California, Massachusetts and New York, continue to advance anti-pesticide legislation. California and New York have a raft of bills related to pesticide use under consideration, ranging from 24-hour pre-application notification and expanding the definition of “school site,” further restricting pesticide use on grounds near private childcare and child development facilities – New Jersey is also considering expanding restrictions near schools. The Massachusetts Legislature is still considering a “five chemical” bill and other restrictions to pesticide use. New York is also considering local notification requirements and phase-outs of use on state property.

Finally, cash-strapped states continue to contemplate raising fees associated with pesticide registration. RISE members generally oppose such fees when they are not used to directly enhance pesticide registration and user education, but are

Given the challenges we face protecting product availability it’s sometimes difficult to remember to say what we’re for – healthy green space and choice from among the tools and methods available to achieve and maintain it. Despite what our opponents have to say about our industry, we are all about choices. As a lawn care professional, you should continue to have the option of choosing from among EPA and state registered pesticides as well as serving those customers who prefer a different approach, the options are not mutually exclusive, but separate business niches you may decide to serve.

Frank Gasperini is director of state affairs for RISE® (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment). Contact him at fgasperini@pestfacts.org. RISE is the national trade association representing manufacturers, formulators, distributors and other industry leaders involved with specialty pesticide and fertilizer products.