Hello respected GP School Board Members!
It has come to my attention that an intention to begin using Glyphosate on school grounds has been added to today’s SB meeting agenda.
On behalf of Beyond Toxics, Non Toxic Southern Oregon, Pollinator Project Rogue Valley and several concerned community members who have reached out to us directly, we are writing to request that your decision to spray Glyphosate on Grants Pass School District parks be stalled for further input and guidance from our organizations and from the community.
The data is overwhelmingly clear that Glyphosate, and Roundup (the main product on the market of which “glyphosate” is the key component), is linked with high rates of cancer for children whose immune systems are the most absorbent and susceptible to disease, for pets who play in school parks throughout the community, for our precious and endangered pollinator species who grow our foods and sustain all life on earth, for the aquatic life affected by runoff down the waterstream, and most certainly for the school groundskeepers who will be spraying the product and their families who may be affected when they go home.
With the leadership of many passionate parents and community members, Phoenix Talent School District just last week placed a moratorium on Roundup and glyphosate on their school grounds and will also begin to replace their pesticide use with an Organic First IPM Approach as a general administrative ruling. Our hope is that you will feel inspired by our local presence and support and follow a similar path for the sake of healthier children, healthier community and a healthier valley.
Our groups are currently educating and informing our Grants Pass community while also collecting petition signatures to demonstrate our caring attention to your decisions as well as our desire to see you get support in choosing the healthier options that will help us rest easy.
We at Beyond Toxics, Non Toxic Southern Oregon and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley are at your service with the ongoing process of finding and implementing non-toxic alternatives and writing your IPM to reflect a new set of clean, healthy and safe land management values for the GP spaces where our kids play. After all, once we look at the scientific data and listen to our local parent’s speak, how much toxicity do we want to say is okay? How much do we want to humans to come into contact with? How much better can we sleep at night by implementing a new Organic IPM approach like Phoenix-Talent?
Here are some recent articles from universities and the National Institute of Medicine:
CNN: Glyphosate increases cancer risk by 41%, study says https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/14/health/us-glyphosate-cancer-study-scli-intl/index.html
National Institute of Medicine: Pesticide Exposure and Child Neurodevelopment: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4247335/
International Interagency for Research on Cancer: https://www.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MonographVolume112-1.pdf
Please consider this evidence and our shared request that you stall your decision and instead place a moratorium of Glyphosate while considering organic options. We are here with you and to be counted on for the joy of this process.
Wanting the best for our children and community’s health,
Kind regards and gratitude for the presence of our community,
We look forward to being in contact with you!
Bianca and Kristina
(On behalf of BT, NTSO, PPRV and so many GP individuals tagged in this email, on Facebook and beyond)
Non Toxic Southern Oregon is an initiative of Beyond Toxics and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley. We are advocating and educating for safe public spaces for people, pets, and pollinators.
Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is a volunteer-led nonprofit. We envision safe, healthy, and thriving pollinator habitat for every community.
Beyond Toxics is a nonprofit advocacy organization whose members are dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. We have a long history of advocating for safer pesticide policies including the current Oregon School IPM law. We are particularly dedicated to protecting the health of children.
—
Bianca Ballará
Environmental Justice Community Organizer, So. Oregon
Beyond Toxics
Phone: 541-226-6766
Gender Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
“Thank water for your life.”
– Grandma Agnes Baker-Pilgrim, Confederated Tribes of Siletz & Global Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers