The Mankato Area Public Schools is exploring organic turf-grass management through a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Also, earlier this year, the City of Northfield unanimously approved an Organic Pest Management Policy for all town lands.
It is encouraging that citizens here in Minnesota are concerned about the health effects and environmental impact related to the use of synthetic pesticides, especially on lawns and landscapes.
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Ed. Comment:
This encourages me because most of the progress being made toward safer lawns is happening in Canada. Here is an example of a progressive community in the good ol' USA.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Monday, June 4, 2007
Ottawa Valley Editor finds Pesticide Signs are a knife in his conscience
Warning, pesticides in use and I can't sleep
Editorial - Saturday, June 02, 2007 @ 09:00
Editor: I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning. My heart was aching, my mind wouldn't turn off and allow me to go back to sleep. I don't usually enjoy writing but sometimes my lack of peace of mind pushes me to do things I would otherwise not want to do. So here I am. The other day while biking through my neighborhood I couldn't help but notice all the signs on the lawn. Pesticides in use. The one that stuck out for me was "Warning- Pesticides in Use." My heart sank as I witnessed sign after sign. Being an environmentalist I can't help but grieve for our planet and for the many ways that we continue to abuse her. When I see in big letters- "Warning" that gives me the shivers. My body feels sick as I realize that I am breathing in all these chemicals that are floating in the air. My soul is frightened because I visualize that the next sign we may see is Contaminated water - don't drink."
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Editorial - Saturday, June 02, 2007 @ 09:00
Editor: I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning. My heart was aching, my mind wouldn't turn off and allow me to go back to sleep. I don't usually enjoy writing but sometimes my lack of peace of mind pushes me to do things I would otherwise not want to do. So here I am. The other day while biking through my neighborhood I couldn't help but notice all the signs on the lawn. Pesticides in use. The one that stuck out for me was "Warning- Pesticides in Use." My heart sank as I witnessed sign after sign. Being an environmentalist I can't help but grieve for our planet and for the many ways that we continue to abuse her. When I see in big letters- "Warning" that gives me the shivers. My body feels sick as I realize that I am breathing in all these chemicals that are floating in the air. My soul is frightened because I visualize that the next sign we may see is Contaminated water - don't drink."
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Pesticides and Fertilizers are Wreaking Havoc on the lobster and fish of the Norwalk River Watershed
Death downstream
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides and heavy metals are often attached to soil particles and wash into the water bodies, causing algae blooms and depleted oxygen, which is deadly to most aquatic life.”The DEP recorded several unexplained fish kills in Norwalk Harbor, which is at the mouth of the Norwalk River. The largest occurred two years ago when more than a million fish died in the harbor.“When we went out to check the health of the harbor, we found just 70 juvenile bottom-feeding fish,” Mr. Harris said. “Normally, we would expect to find between 300 and 400.”At the same time, Long Island Sound experienced a massive lobster die-off in the late 1990s. The die-off gutted a $26 million industry. Once more, science could not find any one main cause, although pollution from the Norwalk River is among the suspected reasons, especially pollution from untreated runoff.“We’re still scratching our heads about the lobster die-off,” Mr. Dunbar at the DEP said. “We know the issues of water quality played a big role, but we don’t how.”In addition to fertilizer and parking lot runoff, a 2006 DEP report found high levels of pesticides in the river. Some came from land owners while others were the result of towns’ attempts to control mosquitoes. “Lab studies revealed lobsters are considerably more sensitive to the effects of (pesticide) than any other freshwater fish and aquatic invertebrates previously tested,” the report said.
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According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Pollutants like fertilizers, pesticides and heavy metals are often attached to soil particles and wash into the water bodies, causing algae blooms and depleted oxygen, which is deadly to most aquatic life.”The DEP recorded several unexplained fish kills in Norwalk Harbor, which is at the mouth of the Norwalk River. The largest occurred two years ago when more than a million fish died in the harbor.“When we went out to check the health of the harbor, we found just 70 juvenile bottom-feeding fish,” Mr. Harris said. “Normally, we would expect to find between 300 and 400.”At the same time, Long Island Sound experienced a massive lobster die-off in the late 1990s. The die-off gutted a $26 million industry. Once more, science could not find any one main cause, although pollution from the Norwalk River is among the suspected reasons, especially pollution from untreated runoff.“We’re still scratching our heads about the lobster die-off,” Mr. Dunbar at the DEP said. “We know the issues of water quality played a big role, but we don’t how.”In addition to fertilizer and parking lot runoff, a 2006 DEP report found high levels of pesticides in the river. Some came from land owners while others were the result of towns’ attempts to control mosquitoes. “Lab studies revealed lobsters are considerably more sensitive to the effects of (pesticide) than any other freshwater fish and aquatic invertebrates previously tested,” the report said.
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