Victory! Scarborough Bans Pesticides on Public Land : Maine town residents' organizing wins vote

 

This past September, Marla Zando and Citizens for a Green Scarborough celebrated a victory when the Scarborough Town Council banned the use of toxic pesticides on town-owned lands. The win was the result of more than a year of work to raise awareness about the threat pesticides pose to human health and the environment, and it springs out of a growing movement across Maine to work locally to promote organic policies.

 

Toxics Action Center is a major part of this burgeoning movement, organizing with  communities across Maine to phase out pesticides and promote safer alternatives. Last year, we held a pesticide summit bringing together activists from across the state to network and share strategies. As a result of the summit, the Safe Schoolgrounds campaign was launched to make schools across Maine pesticide-free.  If you are interested in working to reduce pesticides in your community, contact Tracie Konopinski, Maine Community Organizer at tracie@toxicsaction.org.