CHESHIRE, Conn. — The town soon will begin to use organic lawn care projects instead of those containing pesticides.
Town Manager Michael Milone said he is not sure just when maintenance crews will make the transition. That will depend how long it takes for them to finish a stockpile of the products the town now uses.
Officials agreed to the switch in conjunction with the Quinnipiac Watershed Partnership's Freedom Lawn Campaign, and as part of the townwide Crusade Against Cancer.
The campaign is a plan by the watershed partnership to educate the public on water testing and the adverse health effects of pesticides, said Jerry Silbert, director of the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association. The association is a member of the partnership.
"What does it mean?" Silbert, a physician, said. "Basically, it means a lawn that's free from the use of pesticides."
The partnership launched the campaign Thursday at a meeting in Town Hall. It hopes to get 100 local households to agree to the switch and will catalog any changes in the lawns.
Cheshire will serve as the test community in the campaign, Milone said. If people successfully make the switch, the partnership will move the campaign to other towns.
The crusade is an effort to educate residents on healthy lifestyles and ways to prevent cancer. Since chemical products can be carcinogens and can get into drinking water supplies, Milone said he and others thought making the switch was a good idea and could be a way to encourage others to follow suit.
"If the town government is willing to use organics, it kind of sets a tone for the community," Milone said.
Health risks from pesticides include neurological disorders and cancer, specifically non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,