The spraying of toxic chemicals onto the lawns in Homestead Village has always been a problem. I remember the white flags when I was a little girl, when my family lived on Village Green Ct. I remember the strange smell that is still imprinted on my memory. Now I live here once again in The Knolls and it is heartbreaking to have to shut the windows every spring/summer after they post the sign that it's time to spray again. Oftentimes the smell will linger for days and even weeks. I feel bad for the workers. They often have limited protective wear on, even the man who is doing the spraying, and you have to wonder if they would have felt comfortable enough to request more protection and not fear being judged for it. I think of all of the animals who get their food from the grass, who live in the grass, the animals that live in the marsh and the nearby stream. There is such a rise in chronic illness and you have to wonder how many of the women who are experiencing irregular cycles have been affected by these chemicals. These chemicals are known to cause developmental toxicity, reproductive toxicity, liver and kidney toxicity, even when they are applied according to instructions (which may not always happen). They are known to leech into groundwater and nearby streams. This information is actually available on EPA sites. Many of these studies are inconclusive and do not accurately represent the different mixtures and how they interact together.

Nature knows how to take care of itself, if we would only get out of it's way and get to the root cause of any issues to make adjustments. To actually work with the environment instead of against it. It can only benefit us and eventually decrease the cost of this care. Birds and insect populations across the United States are seeing drastic reduction in numbers due to the unregulated and careless use of these chemicals that are known to be a problem, but go unchecked and unquestioned by the people who are being affected by it. Heavy metals and pesticides are making our livers work so hard and making us more susceptible to infectious diseases by lowering our immune systems.