Pesticides, lawns and the lake

As of 2007, Toronto residents will be fined for spraying pesticides on their lawns. Why aren't we following suit?
I am amazed and disappointed to see how many residents and businesses in York Region are still spraying their lawns.

Not only do we breathe these chemicals in, we drink and bathe in them after they leech or run off into groundwater, rivers and lakes (Lake Simcoe from the Oak Ridges Moraine north, Lake Ontario from the Oak Ridges Moraine south).

Glyphosate (found in Roundup and Touchdown) can cause spontaneous abortion in humans and is highly toxic to fish. 2,4-D (found in weed and feed products, Killex and Par III) causes reduced sperm count and/or abnormal sperm and, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, may be linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and prostate cancer.

It has been found in residential carpet dust up to one year after application outdoors on lawns. Mecoprop (found in Killex, Par III and Trillin) has been linked to cancer of soft tissues and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The list goes on.

It is high time everyone stopped spraying. For excellent tips on how to keep your lawn healthy without using pesticides, visit www.citytoronto.on.ca/health/pesticides/bylaw www.citytoronto.on.ca/health/pesticides/bylaw