Chicago Park District Continues to Limit Use of Pesticides in Parks
Kudos to Chicago for providing toxic free parks for families and children. At least safe from toxic chemicals.
I know that the ball diamonds in Peru are sprayed with Weed and Feed and I hope that is all that is done.
29 comments:
Peru allows agricultural zones yards away from residential zones. The farmers spray pesticides and fertilizers. Peru needs to create and enforce significant buffer zones between farm fields and schools and houses. The first step would be to annex certain farm fields that have residential property, schools, or parks within 500 yards. These properties should zoned appropriately to prevent agricultural use. Second - we need to put an end to crop dusting within 2 miles of a municipal boundary.
I don't think that the city puts weed and feed on the diamonds.
11:57 A.M.
I attended the last Rec Bd. mtg and they mentioned that the Weed and Feed was being applied and one of them said they thought it was to the baseball diamonds. I just did a foia and asked that same question. This work is outsourced I do believe.
The pesticide use needs to stop everywhere. Why do you think there is so much cancer? You can't put poison in the ground, in the water supply and in the food supply without negative effects. Lots of farmers I know are now battling cancer and parkinsons. I think there is a connection. The grass needs to be cut in the parks but other than that, leave it alone!
I agree with 11:24. But taken to the extreme of 12:20 is just not possible. If we did not use pesticides and fertilizers there would be a world wide famine that would probably kill half the population. Not to mention the wars that would come about due to lack of food.
It would be a good idea to present a petition to the city of Peru regarding your concerns of pesticide use so close to homes and many homes with children. I do believe that exposure to agricultural chemicals and those used extensively in lawn and garden care are problems, especially exposure to pregnant moms and young children. Childhood cancer is no longer rare in the midwest and is certainly of great concern. Consult your alderman first and get a petition and I think you won't have any trouble getting signatures.
Lois, Approximately 50 years ago visiting relatives in Manhattan the environment problems were the the main concern of the area. Pesticide use and other chemicals were being closely monitored and if any harmful agents were being used and a individual saw them being applied they were reported.
Sadly upon retuning to Illinois it was, has been and still is a accepted falsehood that we have to put up with to survive, when the truth is they are the cause of many deaths, diseases and discomforts.
I do know that the government had all kinds of agencies that could be contacted for health inspections such as the EPA. Possibly the city could inform us of the last time such inspection has been performed. Being that Veterans Park is a add on I doubt if they have ever tested the area when farming and baseball or the children's playground are being used. Ballgames at this time of year are nothing but a dust bowl coming off the west fields.
2:16 P.M.
I really think many are oblivious to the dangers that are currently present on the plowed fields you are speaking of. They are city dwellers and to many the practices that deliver health problems to the people close by are not even thought about. I would really like to see some of the affected families speak up and get the ball rolling and I believe many others would quickly join any organization put together.
Why have none of the city fathers ever brought this topic up for discussion?
The land that butts up against residential zones is owned by someone. That someone is making a lot of money to grow a crop there. That person is also being subsidized by the government to grow the crop.
To much money involved to put any restrictions in place - especially the way things are done in Peru Illinois and LaSalle County. Way to much money involved to give up the King Corn Welfare Checks from good old Uncle Sam.
Please show one verifiable link to pesticide use and cancer when pesticides are used properly. There is zero proof of higher cancer rates among farmers. There is zero proof of increased causes of cancer for people who live near farm fields. I use pesticides responsibly in my landscaping. Why should that be a problem for you.
The EPA does not come out and test the park because there is a field next door. The farmer has a right to treat his field. The EPA has APPROVED the use of these chemicals per the instructions on the label.
Stop saying it causes cancer. Lots of things in your household are far more toxic and you are around them far more than any farm chemicals.
Or wait......this is a way to play politics and point out what the city is not doing to protect you right? Riiiiight.
Educate yourself with facts instead of emotional stories.
5:34, maybe you should educate yourself. You sound like the one that doesn't know what your are talking about:
"The biggest risk from pesticide drift is to those living, working or attending school near larger farms which employ elevated spraying equipment or crop duster planes to apply chemicals to crops and fields. Children are especially vulnerable to these airborne pesticides, given that their young bodies are still growing and developing." Scientific American, September 2012.
"The drift of spray from pesticide applications can expose people, wildlife, and the environment to pesticide residues that can cause health and environmental effects and property damage." United States EPA
"Widespread concern over pesticide drift among farmers and rural residents -- combined with incidents such as the spraying of two children last summer as they were playing outside -- have prompted a call for legislation to protect children, communities and businesses." Peoria Journal Star - 2009.
It will be interesting to see what the viewpoint on those pesticides that are in use today isin 25 years.
Agent orange was a product freely used in Vietnam without fear because it was thought to only kill foliage at that time. Today it is recognized as a cancer causing agent. Closer by is Ottawa, Illinois or commonly referred to as Radium City because of a substance which the girls would make a better tip on their paint bush by dipping it into a non harmful substance called radium and than putting the bush between their lips for a better tip to paint with. The majority of those women died from cancer. They painted the dials of the clock factory.
Both of the above are what we think today, we find mistaken tomorrow, and tomorrow proves to be too late.
10:43 thank you for the quotes about potential effects. None of these things are proof or any shred of scientific evidence of causing cancer. I am not in favor of inhaling pesticides unnecessarily, but until congress or the EPA regulates this in some manner, I don't see that this is a city council issue at all because there is nothing that they can do. that is my point.
Sure there is. Pass a local ordinance or zone the fields residential.
and you trust the EPA?
Farming, like sprwling haphazard city development, are THE primary causes of non point source pollution. Saying there is zero evidence is ridiculous. Many modern farmers are role models for sustainable safer aggriculture. The rest move to the Illinois Valley.
Many real cities, not small town small minded ag cities ruled by high school council cliques, adopt real erosion control ordinance, buffer zone to protect residence and ground water.
The IEPA is weak, bought out completely by the current political powers and turns a blind eye to ag issues, particularly around here.
How common is it to have active farm fields lodged into between blocks of a subdivision or right across the street?
8:35, outside LaSalle County Illinois, it is not very common. Peru is also strange in the fact that there are large tracts of property that appear to be within the municipal limits - but they are not. That is how they get away with farming just north of St. Johns subdivision. That property should be annexed and zoned. On another thought... I wonder how the field drainage tiles effect our municipal storm water runoff....
The farmland that you want annexed and zoned has been farmed for many more years than the housing development built around it. Do you find your procedure fair to the owner of the farmland?
What amount would you raise his property tax?
10:37. That is the price of progress. If Peru was forward thinking when the new subdivisions where annexed into the city, the buffer zone would have been created at that time. That little Island of farm land between Sunset Drive and 26th Street is just plain stupid. It should have been annexed into the city many years ago.
Concerning the property taxes on farm land - these "farmers" are sitting on land that is worth $10K an acre and paying very little in the way of property taxes. In fact, they get a check from you and me just to grow their crop. I have no sympathy for these "farmers" - mainly because they are not. For the most part - they don't grow food, they grow subsidized fuel. And they get kowtowed to by the politicians all the time. Their property taxes are low - they get paid to flood the market with corn which is held artificially high by the government. They are nothing but welfare kings and queens if you ask me.
Laws are forever being created to update to the times with the exception of farmland. North of St. Johns edition in Peru for example is a piece of farmland which has a subdivision abutted north of it. This farm land having a residential area on 3 of its 4 sides should be taxed as residential rather than a farm which it has been for years.
It would be interesting to know the true value of this property. I am sure it is worth a tremendous amount more than $10,000/acre. It would also be interesting to know the property taxes of the pieces of business property built by the Peru Airport and what they pay in comparison to the above mentioned property?
5:34 You are the one that really needs to be educated in regards to the dangers of pesticide and herbicide use. These products are extremely dangerous and the last 10 years is proving that many in society are tired of putting up with the vanity of those that want beautiful vs safe. The EPA and other agencies are so overwhelmed with regulation that many private groups are LEGALLY taking up the fight. We are finally starting to convince towns, schools, park districts, grocery stores, healthcare agencies, and other public service companies across the country to take a stance on abuse and overuse of these products. AND we are winning! Please go to the Illinois Dept of Agriculture website and read the laws, and understand them, if you can. Yes, they are very complex, but due to the improper use of these deadly products by idiots, laws were enacted to protect those that don't want the exposure to these products. It is a proven science that these products are designed to stunt the growth or eliminate the reproduction of living organisms. And why would the human cell, that is more sensitive, be any different. The largest company in the world produces these products and don't think for one minute that they haven't told everyone that these products are safe. Just for the almighty buck in the checkbook. Over and over again, time has shown that products declared safe are more than deadly years later. Why? Because educated people don't believe the manufacturers lies and tested the product on their own. Remember good old malathion? Everyone used it. Banned now. Unless you can show me your extensive scientific background and PhD's, please leave the rules and regulations to the professionals that know the dangers. In 10 years, rules will be different. Organic is growing. Pesticide/Herbicide free zones are growing. By all means, continue to spray your yards and sit and breath your poisons. I don't want them around my home or my family. Actually, go one step further and have your soil tested with all your wonderful chemicals. Then go online and look up the results. Might scare you a bit. As for farmers, the amount of chemicals they use in an acre is more diluted than the chemicals you buy at the store to put on your quarter acre lot. Farmers obtain licenses and are highly regulated with the use of their products. Many farmers use as little as possible because they know how extremely dangerous those products are. Homeowners are not licensed. They can go to the store and buy gallons of this garbage and pour it all over the place. Then they store the containers in their garages. Then they walk through their yards and track the residue into their homes for years to come. The chemical put on the lawn will dissolve over time into the soil, but the floors of your home will never be free from the chemicals. By all means, spray your yard, walk through the grass, walk into your home, and let your children play on the floor where you just tracked your poisons. Sounds appealing doesn't it? Hmm... sounds like the corporate executive last month that said "It's safe to drink" and then back peddled his statement. Still waiting for him to drink a glass of it. One less "educated" individual to deal with.
12:13 Have to disagree with your statement. Farmland or other vacant land should not be taxed as residential just because a developer bought surrounding properties to build homes. Property taxation is designed to place a small shared burden on homeowners to cover the costs of public entities that provide services such as police, fire, city water/sewer, township, school, library, hospitals, etc. There are calculations that are used to determine what a single family residence derives in benefit from the use of these public services. What does vacant land require from these services? It's also a serious issue when many families are living in a residence that was "calculated" to contribute only one family to the property tax bill, yet 10 families are living off of those services. Please go after the ones that are abusing the system first.
3:17, the farmers are the ones abusing the system. Subsidized crops, cha ching! Essentially tax free land, cha ching! Mandated use of their product for fuel, cha ching! Income tax benefits, cha ching!
I think it is time for the farmers to start paying their fair share of taxes. They have land that is worth millions, yet they only pay about $20 an acre. They get countless kickbacks and don't pay sales tax on anything they buy for the farm - and believe me, everything they buy is for the farm. They need to start kicking in and stop living off the public dole.
I don't know of any farmer that pays $20 acre on taxes.
Then you don't know any farmers - because that is what they pay. It was announced on WLPO. They pay essentially the same amount of tax that you or I would pay on a $275,000 to $300,000 home on $1,000,000 worth of farm land.
But Farmers are all poor. They can barely get by. ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,.
In all actuality, around LaSalle County - The Farmers are the 1% - and you can take that to the bank!
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