© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A Call for Pesticide-Free Town Greens

Flickr Creative Commons / jetsandzeppelins

Connecticut lawmakers are once again eyeing restrictions on pesticides. A new proposal would ban their use at public parks and town greens.

Connecticut has already banned pesticide applications at K-8 schools. Now, environmentalists are throwing their support behind a bill that would take that restriction even further. "We want to go one better and do parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, and municipal greens in Connecticut," said Jerry Silbert with the Watershed Partnership. He said Connecticut is positioned to have a comprehensive ban on synthetic lawn pesticides at schools and on municipal land. "This would be a landmark decision and the first state in the Union to do this," he said.

Currently, New York is the only other state to ban pesticide applications on school grounds, but its ban does not extend to town greens.

Some groundskeepers and athletic directors have criticized the enhanced pesticide regulations. They say banning EPA-registered chemicals cripples their ability to respond to things like grub outbreaks and that it results in unkempt fields and unsafe playing conditions.

Senate President Don Williams said those critics need to take the long view. "Because we know that whether its pests or whether its weeds, resistance develops and then they survive," he said. "And now you have to use ever more toxic chemicals to kill them, which really is devastating to our environment."

On Monday, the state environment committee will hear testimony on another pesticide bill, this one to extend the state's pesticide ban to high school fields. 

Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He can be reached at pskahill@ctpublic.org.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content