January 15, 2003

For More Information, contact:
Audrey Thier: 413-441-9392 (cell)
Laura Haight: 518-588-5481 (cell)

Report Finds High Levels of Routine Pesticide Use in New York City; Councilmember Quinn Calls on State to Pass Urban Pesticide

(Albany) Two statewide environmental groups, Environmental Advocates of New York and the New York Public Interest Research Group Fund, released a report today documenting “unacceptably high” levels of routine pesticide use in New York City. The report, “Avoidable Risk: Pesticide Use Patterns in New York City for 1999,” is their third annual analysis of pesticide use and sales data reported to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Concerned about the health risks posed by the heavy use of pesticides in New York City, Councilmember Christine Quinn, chair of the City Council’s Health Committee, called on the State Legislature to pass the “Urban Pesticide Bill” this year. This bill, introduced by Assemblyman Keith Wright and Senator Carl Marcellino, would establish a commission to investigate urban pesticide use and develop strategies for pesticide use and risk reduction. The bill would also require commercial pesticide applicators to be trained in safer pest control approaches.

The report’s major findings included the following:

• 3.4 million pounds and 238,000 gallons of pesticides were reported applied by commercial applicators in New York City in 1999;

• Pesticides sprayed to control the spread of West Nile virus in 1999, the first year of the outbreak, accounted for less than 1% of this total;

• The top pesticides used in New York City are extremely hazardous, including many that damage the nervous system;

• Brooklyn and Manhattan were among the top ten counties in the state reporting highest commercial pesticide use. Brooklyn ranked second by pounds, and seventh by gallons, and Manhattan ranked tenth by pounds and eighth by gallons;

• Pesticide use, transportation and storage pose new security concerns in the wake of 9/11;

• On a positive note, boric acid, a “least toxic” alternative to more hazardous insecticides, appeared for the first time among the top 15 pesticides reported by pounds in the city.

In addition, an analysis of more recent records for Central Park, for pesticide applications between 1999 and 2001, revealed a pattern of heavy use of pesticides in many of the most frequented areas of the park, including the Great Lawn, Sheep Meadow, and Conservatory Garden. Many of the pesticides used in the park pose significant health risks and are highly persistent, taking as long as 2-3 years to break down.

While the 1999 pesticide reporting data show an apparent decline in pesticide use levels in New York City, the groups cautioned that it is too soon to say whether there has been an actual reduction in pesticide use. The state reporting data for 1999 included a very large amount of pesticide use that was not attributed to a particular county. While New York City’s figures appeared to drop, pesticide rates in the other counties remained fairly consistent with previous years.

“These figures underscore the serious and overwhelming nature of routine pesticide use in New York City, for which there are readily available alternatives,” said Audrey Thier, pesticide project director of Environmental Advocates and author of the report.
In addition to calling for passage of the State Urban Pesticide Bill, the groups urged the City to take steps to reduce pesticide use on City-owned property, beginning with eliminating pesticide use for purely aesthetic purposes on parks and other green spaces.

“Places where people picnic, children and pets play, and wildlife find an urban haven should be free of toxic hazards,” said Laura Haight, senior environmental associate with NYPIRG.

The New York City report can be downloaded at www.eany.org or www.nypirg.org. The groups will release separate reports on pesticide use in Westchester and statewide at a press conference in Albany on January 16th at 11 a.m.