Dear Friends, Family and Followers...
YES, a grassroots movement initiated, by Rose Marie Raccioppi, led to legislative protection... A law representing the Precautionary Principle held by Rockland County, New York, relating to the public lands of Rockland County, has been in place since 2008... a precursor to the pesticide restrictions on parkland, and school grounds. YES, change begins with a commitment, ongoing action, awareness and revelation of effect!!
NOW it is the time, the pressing need for each home owner, each land, owner, each local farm owner, each business owner, to NOT use toxic pesticides on their property grounds. My neighbor is NOT to have the 'right' to poison my property, my body, my children, my wellbeing from the runoff of toxic pesticides such as Roundup by Monsanto. Our environment, our health, are not to be adversely compromised!! We are called upon to revisit the documented harm, and as responsible consumers eliminate the use of poisons that have been shown to have ill effects upon our growing children and our community populace.
Rockland Co. NY Legislature Passes Non-Toxic Landscape Act
Thursday, June 19th, 2008
(Beyond Pesticides, June 19, 2008) Rockland County, NY legislators passed a bill on June 17, 2008 to eliminate the use of toxic pesticides on all county-owned or leased land. Rose Marie Raccioppi, the community organizer behind the bill, is a member of Beyond Pesticides, the National Pesticide-Free Lawn Coalition, and Orangetown’s Environmental Committee. She brought her concerns about pesticide exposure to the Rockland County Legislature last year, and advocated strongly for the passage of the Rockland County Non-Toxic Landscape Maintenance Act. “This is the beginning of what is hoped to be a continuing campaign,” Ms. Raccioppi said. “We hope it moves from county to towns to school districts and eventually, the consciousness of the individual homeowner.” As the law currently stands in New York, and most other states, municipalities may not pass legislation regulating the use of pesticides on private land and buildings, reserving governance of such matters to the state government. However, towns and counties throughout the U.S. (See Daily News of April 15, May 12, May 13, and June 16, 2008) are passing regulations restricting the use of pesticides on publicly-owned land.
