Everyone who lives in or visits Portland has the right to drink clean water, breathe clean air and play, walk and be active on turf and lawns that are free from dangerous chemicals.

As medical and health care professionals and advocates, Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine Chapter works to prevent what cannot be cured.

Because conventional lawn and turf care products often contain chemicals that have been linked to a number of health problems (including cancer, infertility and even ADHD), and because many of these chemicals have not been properly tested, we should not be exposing our citizens, especially our children, to these potential toxins.

Because our chemical safety laws are so inadequate and because thousands of chemicals have never been properly tested, the best way to avoid exposure to pesticides used in lawn and turf care is to ban their use, particularly in public areas.

We support the proposed ban in Portland on the use and sale of conventional lawn and turf products containing untested chemicals or those known to be toxic to humans in Portland to protect the health of all people living in or visiting the city.

PSR Maine advocates and works for healthy Maine families. We encourages the use of organic lawn care not just in Portland but all over our state. No matter where we live, no one, especially our children, should be exposed to potentially dangerous chemicals.

Karen A. D’Andrea

executive director, Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine Chapter

Portland

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