ALBANY -- Less than a week after being fined $500,000 by New York state for pesticide violations, a national lawn care company is no longer a sponsor for next month's international Earth Day celebration, The (Albany, N.Y.) Times Union reports.
TruGreen was to have been part of the Earth Day Network's flagship event at the National Mall in Washington on April 25 to tout organic and sustainable lawn care.
But on Monday, the Tennessee-based corporation, whose business relies predominantly on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and Earth Day organizers announced the company was leaving.
Some pesticide activists had been critical that TruGreen, the nation's largest lawn company, was an Earth Day sponsor. Several Facebook pages sprang up to lobby against the partnership.
That criticism grew when, this month, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced the March 16 fine against TruGreen for misapplying pesticides, keeping inaccurate records and using uncertified or untrained workers.
Read the full story at The (Albany, N.Y.) Times Union.