Potomac — To the Editor:
Spring is just around the corner and if the Montgomery County Council has its way, residents will learn to live with weeds, ticks, grubs and Mother Nature’s other irritants. The council, at the urging of a small group of advocates, has introduced a bill (52-14) that would prohibit the use of virtually all lawn, landscape and ornamental pesticides on private and county property by homeowners or professional applicators.
Described by some as a children’s health initiative, the bill has little basis in health or science, according to a scientist who spent 11 years with the EPA’s Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances. Stuart Cohen, a Ph.D. environmental chemist and Montgomery County resident with 39 years of experience, testified that the bill fails “to acknowledge the extensive testing — typically more than 80 studies, at least 18 of which are in toxicology — and a thorough federal review of each proposed pesticide’s use pattern,” to ensure “a reasonable certainty of no harm” before a pesticide is approved and registered by the EPA.
If the council prevails, county residents could buy lawn care products, but they can’t use them. If this concerns you, please contact your County Council representative and attend the hearing in Rockville Feb, 12.
Chris Cathcart, Potomac
The writer is president and CEO of the Consumer Specialty Products Association, which represents the interests of household products, including lawn care.