Pass bill to ban harmful pesticides

When serving as attorney general, Eliot Spitzer supported proposed legislation that would have banned toxic pesticides, including herbicides, from being used to destroy lawn weeds. Spitzer initiated lawsuits to deal with lawn care companies' misleading advertising, and overuse of lawn chemicals at public housing projects. And he urged schools to stop using herbicides on lawns and athletic fields.

Spitzer recognized that these chemicals cause cancer, Parkinson's disease and respiratory and reproductive disorders for humans, poison wildlife and companion animals and pollute our air and drinking water.

Assemblyman Alexander Grannis co-sponsored the lawn chemical ban bill because the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner during the Pataki administration did not properly regulate pesticides, Grannis also co-sponsored a bill that would give some of the commissioner's regulatory authority to municipalities.

Although these bills died in committee last year, I hope Spitzer's election as governor and Spitzer's appointment of Grannis as DEC commissioner, would mean the state would finally take action.

Re-introduced this year, A.6045/S.3206 would prohibit use of toxic chemicals to control lawn weeds. At least 60 Canadian municipalities or provinces have already enacted such laws.

Two months ago, I urged Spitzer and Grannis to publicly support this bill. Because Grannis now has authority to ban lawn chemical use under current law, I asked Grannis to use this authority. And I requested the governor issue an executive order prohibiting lawn pesticides and synthetic fertilizers from use by state agencies, parks, colleges and highway departments.

To date, no reply from the governor's office. My letter to Grannis was answered by the DEC's director of pesticides management. But there was no commitment to support A.6045/S.3206, or to do anything new to deal with these issues.

Such continued environmental irresponsibility will eventually harm all of us.

Joel Freedman Chairman of the Public Education

Committee of Animal Rights Advocates of Upstate

New York