Connecticut Senator Wants Statewide Pesticide Ban

Ted Kennedy Jr. wants to ban pesticides from being used on soccer and baseball fields, municipal playgrounds.

According to a story in the New Haven Register, Connecticut Senator Ted Kennedy Jr. (D-Branford) wants the state to follow the Town of Branford’s lead by banning the use of pesticides in public areas where children commonly play, such as baseball and soccer fields. Current Senate Bill 1063 bans the use of pesticides on fields at K-8 schools and day cares, and Kennedy wants to extend the bill to include municipal playgrounds.

“The primary characteristic of pesticides are their toxicity, without that they cannot do their job,” Kennedy said in a press release. “Pesticides may help make our lawns and playgrounds look attractive, but they contain ingredients that have been linked to cancer, neurological disorders, immune system dysfunction and other health problems. The World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have taken steps to limit pesticide use due to the dangers these substances pose. Connecticut must join this growing movement and act now to limit the damage these dangerous chemicals do to our environment and our health.”

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