Sustainable Fairfax is collaborating with MOMMAS (Mothers of Marin Against the Spray), and other local sustainability organizations to request tougher standards in the Marin County IPM Ordinance re-write.
Mark your calendars! This Friday, April 10^th, is one of our final opportunities to ask the County to protect our children’s health by reducing their chemical exposures on Marin County property, including our parks, playgrounds and playing fields. Please join us April 10^th from 9:30 am to noon at the Marin County Civic Center, Room 328 (Planning Commission Chambers) where we will meet with the Marin County Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Commission to review and comment upon the newly rewritten IPM ordinance that regulates pesticide use in Marin County.

We need to fill the room with concerned citizens – please feel free to bring your kids, too. Even if you can only stay part of the time, your voice is needed! It’s our children’s health that motivates us all.

What Friday’s Meeting Means to You and Your Family: The original Pesticide Ordinance, passed in 1998, was groundbreaking at the time. The recent rewrite of the Ordinance eliminates important pesticide reduction requirements that were contained in the original ordinance and fails to vigorously protect Marin children and our most vulnerable populations from the inherent dangers of pesticide use in the places they frequent most. With scientist’s increasingly linking rising rates of childhood cancers, autism, asthma, birth defects and learning disabilities to chemical exposures, now is the time to stand up and make your voices heard!

What MOMAS is asking for: MOMAS is asking the Board of Supervisors for a strong IPM Ordinance that includes the following:

• No Spray Zones - The Ordinance should prohibit the application of pesticides where children and other vulnerable populations spend time. This includes bike and multi-use paths, playgrounds, picnic areas, play fields and the area around the Civic Center Lagoon, all with 300’ buffer zones. Clear and visible signage should mark these areas.

• Mandatory Benchmark Reductions ~ Accountability and Oversight -
  • Include aggressive and quantifiable pesticide reductions – make Marin a pesticide free County.
  • Create a Board of Supervisors’ “Approved List” of safe chemicals, which must be approved on an annual basis.
  • Include a “Prohibited List” of toxic chemicals that can never be used on County property, even on an exemption basis.
  • Do not allow a dedicated “special use” list of otherwise prohibited chemicals.

• Special Districts & Open Space - The IPM Ordinance should clearly state that it applies to all property owned, managed, leased or occupied by the County including special districts and the Marin Open Space District.

If you can’t attend the meeting, please take just 2 minutes to email or call your Supervisor. Let him or her know that you support a strong IPM Ordinance with Mandatory “No Spray Zones,” Mandatory Benchmark Reductions, and an express list of prohibited pesticides that can never be used on County property, even on an exemption basis. Ask them to continue to make Marin a leader - for our children’s health. The Supervisors’ contact information is listed below:

District 1: Susan Adams.

(415) 499-7331

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District 2: Hal Brown

(415) 499-7331

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District 3: Charles McGlashan

(415) 499-7331

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District 4: Steve Kinsey

(415) 499-7331

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District 5: Judy Arnold

(415) 499-7331

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