Below is an interview that I had with Al Lane on Dec. 7, 2001. Lane owns Professional Tree Supply,Inc., for 43 years in the wholesale lawn/nursery supply business
Unfortunately, in Syracuse/Onondaga in Dec. 2001, no enviro groups (neither NYPIRG, the lead group, nor Sierra Club, Am. Lung Assn. et al.) ever brought up info at any public hearing about the overwhelming success of the implementation of Pesticide Neighbor Notification in Suffolk County in the summer of 2001.
So, in Onondaga County, the regional CNY chapter of the powerful NY Landscape Assn. was able to use the scare tactics of job loss and bankruptcy (despite the success of PNN in Suffolk)among the local garden and landscape/lawncare business to get all GOP legislators, including three lameducks, to defeat PNN in Dec. 2001.
On Friday, Dec. 7, 2001,I talked to Al Lane, 1-800-873-3203 Professional Tree Supply,Inc., for 43 years in the wholesale lawn/nursery supply business in (580 West Hoffman Ave. Lindenhurst, NY 11757) Melville, Suffolk County, Long Island.
He confirms that the PNN worked "really well" thru out Suffolk all summer ('01)--no problems with the law, giving notice, if using toxic or non-toxic pesticides.
No job loss, nobody in landscape/lawncare put out of business.
Al Lane said that about 85% of sprayers used any one or combo of twenty-seven (27) lawn pesticides (including soaps, oils, BT, dormant, biological type treatments) that are on the exempt list--that is, they are benign and therefore do not require any prior notice to neighbors before lawn spraying.
That the 15% using toxics had no problem with giving neighbors notice, using doorknob hangers, etc.
Result of PNN law in Suffolk County ('01): It prompted the lawncare industry to use safer materials.
That lawn applicators early fears about PNN being a big burden to their business operations was not borne out in practice.
Not one lawncare operation went out of business. Small landscapers never did lawn spraying as part of their business anyway.
Enforcement was under the Suffolk County Health Dept. Sprayers easily complied; and there were few complaints about spraying without notice.
Lawn spraying companies in Suffolk that do not use toxics have big signs on their tank trucks, that the contents are not toxic--that their spray is on the exempt list of 27 different oils, soaps, etc.
Please Note: Lane said that lawsuits by lawnsprayers [probably aided by the statewide NYS Lawncare Assn. headed by Don Burton, President, who testifed in Syracuse against PNN] have off/on stalled the implementation of Pesticide Neighbor Notice in Nassau, Westchester, Albany County. THE ABOVE WAS WRITTEN DEC. 8, 2001.
YOU MIGHT CALL AL LANE 1-800-873-3203 (LANDSCAPE GURU OF SUFFOLK COUNTY) AND ASK FOR INFO ON THE SUCCESS OF PNN IN SUFFOLK COUNTY DURING THE SUMMER OF '02.
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Austin G. Paulnack, Coordinator, The
Accountability Project
CentralNewYorkFreshair
119 Strong Ave. Syracuse NY 13210-2617 Ph.(315) 472-1394
Promoting quality-of-life issues.
Fair-Trade small-farm Coffee Connection.
DoctorsGlobalHealth:www.dghonline.org; www.transfairusa.org
Pesticide Neighbor Notificaton, Yes!
