This issue hits close to home for me. Every day, our pets and children are innocently exposed to the harmful chemicals often used in lawn care. These chemicals don't just ruin the soils and pollute our waters, but they pose serious health risks to our most vulnerable: our pets and children. Kids play on these yards and pets, like or not, often ingest the grass, and they both can turn into unsuspecting victims.

Per the American Pet Products Association, over 67% of US households, own at least one pet, that is around 85 million families. The National Pesticide Information Center suggests that pesticides, often an active ingredient in lawn treatments, can cause harm to the digestive system, nervous system, and skin of animals if ingested.  Similar risks have been noted for children by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

These chemicals are made up of heavy metals that lodge in the organs and brain of the body causing Lymphoma, memory loss, anxiety, depression, birth defects, cancers, learning disabilities and a list of other long term and short term health complications.

These chemicals present a clear and severe danger to all the people and animals exposed, most especially children.

The use of many chemical based products is dangerous in that the chemicals it deployed are not very transmittable when the product is sprayed and wet. The risks are much greater once they dry, with some having a half-life of up to 197 days, the dangers of the dried chemicals becoming airborne, particularly on sports fields and in high-traffic areas, are significant.  It seems counter-intuitive to use a weed killer in a public space that contaminates that space prohibitively for over half a year.

We can no longer turn a blind eye to the potential harm these lawn treatments pose. It's high time we sought for safer and more sustainable alternatives to lawn care. I call upon our local governments, homeowners' associations, and lawn care companies to immediately halt the use of harmful chemicals in lawn care. 

It is our community and our right to vote on what is acceptable to us as homeowners. The HOA represents the homeowners and if the homeowners deem it unacceptable to utilize chemicals on the lawns and grasses behind, next to and upon their lots then the HOA shall accommodate the homeowners request to cease such practices . It is irresponsible and reckless. 

Should individual owners wish to spot treat their yard they may do so themselves or by employing their own private service to do so for them. 

Let's protect the health of our loved ones and the environment we live in 

Please, sign this petition and push for a change we all deserve to see.