Pesticides at NYS Schools & Daycares, Part 2: Room for Growth
In the first article in this series, we explored New York's 2010 pesticide law for schools and daycares. This law establishes admirable rules for keeping outdoor spaces safe, and the New York State Department of Conservation (DEC) has offered equally stellar guidance for choosing alternatives to conventional pesticides.
However, Beyond Pesticides has suggestions to offer New York State to improve these rules, and the safety of school and daycare communities. We'll explore those recommendations in this article.
Beyond Pesticides is committed to "protecting public health and the environment to lead the transition to a world free of toxic pesticides...Beyond Pesticides believes that people must have a voice in decisions that affect them directly. We believe decisions should not be made for us by chemical companies or by decision makers who either do not have all of the facts or refuse to consider them." Learn more about this Washington DC-based nonprofit by visiting their website.
Buffer Zones
The rules for pesticide application on school and daycare outdoor spaces appear thorough, supporting the wellness of children and other creatures in nature. However, the law does not address pesticide drift onto school grounds from surrounding farms and other properties. The drift of pesticides by wind and volatilization has been well-documented (National Pesticide Information Center, 2017).
To minimize the migration of pesticides onto school property. Beyond Pesticides recommends the following buffer zones:
a 2-mile "no-spray zone" radius around schools
a 3-mile buffer zone for aerial pesticide applications, which are more prone to drift.
Though these rules are recommended to be in place around the clock, Beyond Pesticides points out that times when students are traveling to or from school or are outdoors are the most important for safety.
Agriculture is an important part of Upstate New York's culture and economy, and many schools are located within two miles of conventional farms. It's hard to imagine enforcing a rule like this without serious pushback from local growers. However, there is potential for schools and growers to communicate about the best times to apply pesticides to their fields. It's also my hope that farmers routinely use best practices when applying pesticides that minimize drift, such as not applying on a windy day. This is in their best interest, too! No one wants to waste time and money having a product fly away, where it can't do its intended job.
Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), an invasive species and medicinal plant.
Limiting Indoor Pesticide Use
The 2010 pesticide law does an excellent job of limiting which pest control products are allowed to be used outdoors. However, the law does not restrict pesticide use indoors. Beyond Pesticides points out that conventional pesticides contain carcinogens, endocrine disrupters, reproductive and developmental toxins, neurotoxins, substances that resist degradation in the environment and bioaccumulate, and ground water contaminants. Children should not be exposed to these substances (2020).
If school or daycare leadership feels it's impossible to avoid these products, rules can be established about when these chemicals are applied. Beyond Pesticides suggests that "pesticides should never be applied when students or employees are in the area or may be in the area within 24 hours of the application" (2020).
This recommendation might help to prevent inhalation of products that are in spray or powder form while products are airborne. This is a good start—and, I assume these chemicals don't disappear after 24 hours. Some pesticide residues can last for weeks or more (2020). Some pesticides tend to accumulate indoors, where there are no soil bacteria to decompose them or rain to carry them away (van Balen et al). Since schools and daycares are notorious for sanitation and cleanliness, I that the accumulation of pesticide residue in dust is less of an issue. (I would also love to hear that the cleaning products used are non-toxic and biodegradable.)
Notification and Posting
Signs
When pesticides are utilized at a school or daycare, signs should be posted at the site of application, allowing individuals to steer clear.
For daycare centers, notification signs must be posted for 48 hours before the application, whether indoors or outdoors.
At New York schools, a signage law is in place for outdoor pesticide application. New York's Environmental Conservation Law (sections 33-09 and 33-10) requires pesticide applicators to post signs for all outdoor applications. Signs must be posted for 24 hours after application. (Again, it's debatable whether this is really enough time). Additional information about the product and procedure must be made available if requested.
However, there is no signage requirement for indoor pesticide applications in New York State schools. Because of the amount of time students and staff spend indoors, signs notifying the school community should be required. In addition, signs notifying individuals about indoor pesticide use should be left up for at least 72 hours (2020).
Beyond Pesticides recommends posting signage prior to pesticide use in addition to afterward. They write, "Signs posted prior to commencement of the pesticide application, not after, are more protective. The prior notification system effectively enables people to take precautionary action." Imagine sidling up to a sign that reads:
If you can read this, you’re standing where someone sprayed toxic chemicals today. Bummer.
Posting about the application at school entrances and mentioning it in the school's daily announcements are also helpful strategies to give individuals advance warning (2020).
Written Notification
In New York State, schools are required to inform guardians at the beginning of the school year that pesticides may be used if deemed necessary. Guardians and school staff may add themselves to a 48-advance notice list for planned pesticide applications (NYS DEC).
Beyond Pesticides points out that the folks likely to take the initiative to receive 48-hour notification are those who already care about the risks of toxin exposure. Those without prior education on these issues (or with too much else to juggle) may miss the boat on joining the list. Instead, everyone in the school community should be given prior notice of a planned application (2020).
In addition, members of the school or daycare community should be given at least 72 hours notice before the application. This gives folks time to check their email or read the notice and gather more information about the product or procedure if they feel the need. Beyond Pesticides advocates for the inclusion of this information in these notifications:
the name of the pesticide(s), a summary of the adverse health effects listed on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and label, the day and time, and area of the application and how to obtain a copy of the MSDS and label (2020).
Though New York State has placed an excellent school and daycare pesticide law on its books, we still have room for growth. Thanks to Beyond Pesticides for their analysis of this 2010 state law and their thoughtful recommendations.
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Sources
Beyond Pesticides. "NY--School Policies." Viewed April 2020. https://beyondpesticides.org/resources/state-pages/ny/school-policies
National Pesticide Information Center. "Pesticide Drift." Last updated January 23, 2017. http://npic.orst.edu/reg/drift.html
New York State Department of Conservation. "Pesticide Use at Schools and Day Care Centers." Viewed August 2020. www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/41822.html
van Balen, Erma, Mona Shum et al. "Reducing Residential Indoor Exposure to Pesticides: a Toolkit for Practitioners." National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health. Oct 2011. www.ncceh.ca/sites/default/files/Residential_Exposure_to_Pesticides_Toolkit_Oct_2011.pdf
