"Although I knew pesticides weren't safe, I didn't realize they were lethal," says Rosenblatt - until her dog Lilac died young, of cancer in 1992. "One day the vet said Lilac had cancer, the next day Lilac was dead! That's how I discovered, in 1992, that dogs all over the Milwaukee area were dying of cancer, apparently triggered by pesticides. So it follows that pesticides also affect humans..."
"...What happens to babies who crawl, children who play, families that picnic on treated grass? What happens when we track pesticides onto our carpets?"
Suzanne's work has paid off in building greater public awareness, but apparently her effort and the concern expressed by many citizens failed to convince the Village of Shorewood to amend it's policies. She just published the following 4th of July warning:
Those little white signs
If you ask me, the Shorewood fireworks are the best, and I'd planned to go with my children, grandchildren, and a group of friends with their children. But now the pleasure's gone. Five days before the fireworks, I saw pesticide warning signs all over Atwater Park!From: "Nicole Bickham" nicole.bickham@sbcglobal.net
The Department of Public Works knows these substances are too dangerous to use on school grounds, yet they sprayed Atwater Park just before the entire community will be celebrating there. We'll all be sitting on, picnicking on, poisoned grass if we go.
Last year when preparing a presentation to the Village Board, I discovered that Shorewood uses 2, 4-D, an extremely toxic herbicide. Google it, and I doubt you'll want to sit in it or track it into your house on shoe soles. It is used in "weed and feed" products, was a component of Agent Orange; is linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, linked to prostate cancer in farmers, is a known endocrine disrupter, causes reduced sperm counts and/or increased abnormalities in sperm. It's found in residential carpet dust up to one year after application outdoors on lawns. There's a lot more, including the research by Warren Porter, at UW-Madison.
Here are the protection specifications for people who apply 2,4-D: they must wear face shield, goggles or safety glasses, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, socks and shoes and chemical-resistant gloves. Perhaps that's what we all should wear to the Shorewood fireworks! Nicole Bickham just sent this letter to all the members of the Shorewood Village Board, and I hope you, too, will let them know how you feel about this issue:
To: manager@villageofshorewood.org, PresidentJohnson@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeAnderson@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeEckman@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeHanewall@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeHickey@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteeMaher@villageofshorewood.org, TrusteePhinney@villageofshorewood.org
Subject: pesticide use at Atwater park
Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006
Dear Mr. Swartz & Village Trustees,HCP: A Grass Roots Movement
I understand that pesticides were applied at Atwater Park in the past few days, as evidenced by the many warning signs posted there. This strikes me as incredibly irresponsible, given that in a few short days hundreds if not thousands of residents, including many children, will come to Atwater Park to enjoy the Independence Day festivities. What is worse, most residents will have no idea that they are being exposed, because the application was timed such that the state-mandated warning signs will no longer be required on July 4th.
I believe the trustees have received ample information about the detrimental health and environmental effects of pesticide exposure, particularly the effects on children. They should also be aware that pesticide residues can linger long after warning signs are removed. I observed a board meeting on July 11, 2005, at which this very issue was addressed. Numerous residents expressed their deep concerns about the village's use of pesticides, and about personal experiences with cancer and other illnesses that research suggests may be linked to pesticide exposure. The board also received at that time, a detailed summary of relevant scientific studies.
The board's response just one year ago was heartening; members suggested that in the future, Shorewood might implement pesticide-free turf care on public land village-wide and even share resources (eg, organic fertilizer) with residents to facilitate their use of natural lawn care. Spraying pesticides at Atwater Park days before one of the largest village events strays awfully far from the intentions expressed at that meeting.
As a resident of neighboring Whitefish Bay, and someone involved in educating others about the dangers of pesticide exposure, I can tell you that many people look to Shorewood as the leader of the North Shore when it comes to policies affecting health and the environment. My family has even given serious consideration to moving to Shorewood because of what we have perceived as forward-thinking policies.
I urge you to reconsider the policy that allowed this ill-timed pesticide application to occur. Furthermore, I hope that you will re-post pesticide warning signs so that the residents of Shorewood and visitors from other communities can make a more informed choice about whether to expose themselves and their children to these dangerous chemicals on Independence Day.
Sincerely,
Nicole Bickham
5235 N. Hollywood Ave, Whitefish Bay
Healthy Communities Project started very simply, with a young mother's letter to the local paper expressing concern about the widespread use of pesticides in the community and their potential effects on children and the environment, namely Lake Michigan. This letter was supported by a second, written by a larger group of residents, citing specific health effects linked to pesticide exposure. These letters got people talking and doing research about these chemicals in our environment.
Since 2001, it has been the standard for Healthy Communities Project to base our opinions and the information we disseminate on solid science - to refer to data from objective sources, and to seek out the opinions of health professionals, toxicologists, horticulturists, and other experts in relevant fields. It is our goal to educate homeowners, municipalities, and other turf managers about the impact pesticides and polluted runoff have on the health of humans, animals, and the environment, and to empower them to make positive changes. We believe that we, as residents caring for our own small plots of the earth, have the power to protect human health, to improve our watershed, and to inspire our neighbors to do the same.
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