New York Senate Passes School Pesticide Ban

SafeLawns just learned that the New York state senate passed (S. 4983), the so-called Child Safe Playing Fields Act in a 39-22 vote. The bill, which will go to the desk of Governor David Patterson for his signature after its approval by the State Assembly, bans the use of synthetic pesticides (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides) on the athletic fields and playgrounds of public and private schools and day care centers.

Passage by the Assembly is seen as an almost certainty, given that the same body passed an even stricter bill last year. The Senate had killed previous versions of the bill, but passed this compromise version that removes pesticides from playgrounds and playing fields — but still allows pestiides such as weed killers, insecticides and fungicides to be used on other school grounds.

Let Gov. Patterson know that you think this ban is a good idea: http://www.state.ny.us/governor/contact/GovernorContactForm.php

Here’s an article about the issue from the Syracuse newspaper: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/nys_senate_bans_applying_pesti.html