Children and Pesticide
Babies are born with over 200 synthetic chemicals in their bodies. See the DVD CONTAMINATED WITHOUT CONSENT at GreenCAPE'S 2011 Annual Meeting, and Read the 2010 President's Cancer Panel Report.
Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families--Current laws aren't protecting us from chemicals that are building up in our bodies and threatening our health. These persistent, bioaccumulative toxic chemicals should be phased out of commerce. Our exposure to other toxic chemicals that we know can cause serious health problems, should be reduced. Green chemistry research should be expanded, and safer chemicals favored over those with known health hazards. Get informative fact sheets on your exposure to everyday products and help to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) at the Safer Chenicals, Healthy Bodies website, www.saferchemicals.org/
We are learning more every day about endocrine disruptors. Read Dr. Kristine
Soly's letter to the Cape Cod Times entitled Chemicals
are Stealing Childhood.
greencape.org/wordpress/2011/02/10/chemicals-are-stealing-childhood-by-dr-kristine-soly/
In November, 1999, the Children's and Families Protection Act (CFPA) was passed by an act of the Massachusetts legislature. In May, 2000 Governor Cellucci signed into law "An Act to Protect Children and Families From Harmful Pesticides. " The act restricts and in many cases prohits the use of pesticides in and around schools and child care centers. It requires notification of parents and staff prior to application of pesticides. It also requires all schools to have their pesticide application and notification plans in place.
Most schools on Cape Cod are now in compliance with the CFPA but there are still many daycare centers that have not filled IPM Plans as required by the law. Check your school.
Artwork by GreenCAPE member Holly Young
GreenCAPE suggests that all parents and other concerned adults to call their schools and request copies of their plans after reading the information at the following websites:
- CFPA Implementation Guide A Citizen's Guide To Ensure Pesticide Use Reduction in Massachusetts Schools and Daycare Centers from Toxic Action Center.
- Chapter 85 of the Acts of 2000, An Act Protecting Children and Families from Harmful Pesticides, Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture (MassDFA): Offical Mass. site for the Children ’s Protection Act. You can read a summary or the full text of the law, find more information about notification requirements, and find background information about the law.
- University of Massachusetts Extension Services IPM site. This site has much to offer--a model school IPM plan and loads of information about IPM and related topics.
GreenCAPE Reports
Arsenic in Playground Equipment
Cape Cod School Pesticide Use Survey: Midterm Report
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Premature Births
and Pesticide
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Our Partners--
Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow
What's Toxic in Toyland? Time Magazine report tells all.