Grassroots
Action
August/September
2007
(Previous
Actions)
With 195 million acres
of state-owned and managed property across the country, statewide laws
requiring environmentally sound pest management practices can have a significant
impact on protecting the public and environment from unnecessary and toxic
pesticide use. Yet, according to Beyond Pesticides’ recent report,
Ending Toxic Dependency: The State of IPM, existing state laws regulating
pest management on state property, including buildings and land, allow
broad dependency on toxic pesticides, while only four states call for
pesticide reduction and alternatives. Download the report at www.beyondpesticides.org/stateipm.
The report, focusing
on state provisions addressing integrated pest management (IPM), supports
the need for defined and effective state IPM and organic programs, codified
in policy and effectively carried out.
IPM
Definition:
In the 10 states that have codified in state law IPM practices for state
owned or managed property, two types of IPM definitions emerge:
Non-prioritized Tactical
IPM. With non-prioritized tactical IPM, the state IPM practices are defined
as a combination of pest management methods (2 states: MI, MN) with no
priority for pesticide or hazard reduction. Additional states specify
IPM as a combined method that minimizes health and/or environmental risks
(1 state: OR), as well as economic risks (4 states: AZ, OH, WA). However,
this definition can be and is generally interpreted from the perspective
of the health and economic risks of not using pesticides, as opposed to
analyzing the real hazards or uncertainties (because of inadequate health
and environmental effects testing of pesticides) associated with pesticide
use.
Prioritized Strategic
IPM. With first tier prioritized strategic IPM, state IPM policy seeks
to reduce or eliminate hazardous pesticide use on state-owned property
and requires the use of clearly defined least-toxic pesticides only as
a last resort (2 states: CA, NJ). With second tier prioritized strategic
IPM, state IPM policy seeks to reduce or minimize pesticide use, or unnecessary
use, and adopt non-chemical practices, while using least-toxic pesticides
without specifically requiring a last resort determination (CT, ME). The
state of Maine’s policy limits pesticide use to “low impact
pesticides.”
Overview
of Findings:
- Ten states have
IPM policies, yet they fail to incorporate all eight essential components
of IPM;
- Four of the ten
states adopt the IPM policy goal of pesticide reduction or curtailing
unnecessary pesticide use;
- Only two of the
four states with specific pesticide reduction goals have a mandatory
program;
- Six states adopt
the IPM definition most promoted by the chemical and pest control industry
– a combination of methods without priority being given to non-chemical
practices and absent toxic reduction or elimination goals and least-toxic
chemicals;
- None of the state
policies requires organic practices for management of state lands.
The report findings
raise critical questions about the lack of serious effort by state governments
to put in place IPM programs on state property. If the ten states that
have adopted some form of an IPM policy affecting public property were
to correct existing deficiencies and fully implement these policies, then
31% of the nation’s population would be protected from unnecessary
pesticide use on state-owned public areas.
Take
Action:
Urge your state to adopt a strong policy regarding toxic chemical use
in the management of state-owned and leased property. States must adopt
policies (through action of the state legislature or agency regulation)
to manage state property with IPM and organic practices that are clearly
defined with the goal of eliminating hazardous and unnecessary pesticide
use, address the eight essential IPM program components, and ensure adequate
funding, full coordination, accountability and enforcement. States should
repeal preemption of local authority to restrict pesticides on private
property.
States should encourage
local jurisdictions to adopt policies and private property owners to put
in place programs that ensure IPM and organic principles of eliminating
toxic pesticide use.
To sign the National
Declaration on the Use of Toxic Lawn Pesticides and pledge your lawn or
landscape as organic, please visit www.beyondpesticides.org/lawns, call
Beyond Pesticides at (202) 543-5450 or send an email to info@beyondpesticides.org.
