Protect Long Island Drinking Water

Ban the Top Three Harmful Pesticides

Long Islanders depend on groundwater as our sole source of drinking water. It is critical that we protect this water source to ensure protection of our health and our environment. Unfortunately, new and alarming information complied by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) documents 123 active pesticides found in our water supply. We need to immediately ban the worst three toxic offenders: metalaxyl, imidacloprid, and atrazine.

DEC has found thousands of detections of these three toxic chemicals throughout private wells, community wells, and monitoring wells. These toxic chemicals have also been detected in Long Island surface waters. It is important to act now stop the use and spread of these chemicals. In 1979, the pesticide Temik was banned on Long Island, yet levels of this toxic continued to increase in water supplies for 20 years. We must act now to protect drinking water!

The Three Worst Toxic Offenders on Long Island
1. Metalaxyl Metalaxyl is a fungicide that readily leaches in sandy soils and is highly soluble in water; these properties, in combination with its long persistence, pose a significant threat of contamination to our groundwater. Metalaxyl is EPA Acute Toxicity Class II (moderately toxic). It is linked to kidney and liver damage and is toxic to birds. According to the NYS DEC, there have been 1,327 detections of metalaxyl at 546 locations in Long Island's groundwater.
2. Imidacloprid Imidacloprid was recently released from its patent and, thus, can be found in hundreds of products used to control insects. It's used on lawns, turf, golf courses, gardens, farms, pets, ornamental plantings, and in households. Yet, it is a known neurotoxin, which means it damages the nervous system and has a strong potential to contaminate ground water, since it can leach quickly through soils. It is toxic to fish and crustaceans. According to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), from 2001 to 2010, imidacloprid was detected 890 times at 179 locations in Long Island's groundwater. The chemical has been found in concentrations as high as 407 ppb ‑ far in excess of the 50 ppb drinking water standard.
3. Atrazine Atrazine was banned in the European Union in 2004 because of its persistent groundwater contamination. In the United States, however, atrazine is one of the most widely used weed killers, with 76 million pounds of it applied each year. Throughout scientific literature, atrazine has been identified as an endocrine disruptor and classified as a possible carcinogen. In August 2009, atrazine was prominently featured in The New York Times as a potential cause of birth defects and low birth weights when consumed at concentrations below federal standards. According to the NYS DEC, there have been 124 detections of atrazine in 51 locations in Long Island's groundwater.

The Three Worst Toxic Offenders on Long Island

1. Metalaxyl

Metalaxyl is a fungicide that readily leaches in sandy soils and is highly soluble in water; these properties, in combination with its long persistence, pose a significant threat of contamination to our groundwater. Metalaxyl is EPA Acute Toxicity Class II (moderately toxic). It is linked to kidney and liver damage and is toxic to birds. According to the NYS DEC, there have been 1,327 detections of metalaxyl at 546 locations in Long Island's groundwater.

2. Imidacloprid

Imidacloprid was recently released from its patent and, thus, can be found in hundreds of products used to control insects. It's used on lawns, turf, golf courses, gardens, farms, pets, ornamental plantings, and in households. Yet, it is a known neurotoxin, which means it damages the nervous system and has a strong potential to contaminate ground water, since it can leach quickly through soils. It is toxic to fish and crustaceans. According to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), from 2001 to 2010, imidacloprid was detected 890 times at 179 locations in Long Island's groundwater. The chemical has been found in concentrations as high as 407 ppb ‑ far in excess of the 50 ppb drinking water standard.

3. Atrazine

Atrazine was banned in the European Union in 2004 because of its persistent groundwater contamination. In the United States, however, atrazine is one of the most widely used weed killers, with 76 million pounds of it applied each year. Throughout scientific literature, atrazine has been identified as an endocrine disruptor and classified as a possible carcinogen. In August 2009, atrazine was prominently featured in The New York Times as a potential cause of birth defects and low birth weights when consumed at concentrations below federal standards. According to the NYS DEC, there have been 124 detections of atrazine in 51 locations in Long Island's groundwater.

Banning the top three pesticides that are detected in Long Island's drinking water supply will prevent future contamination, protect drinking water supplies, and thereby protect public health and offer significant protection of our estuarine waters. DEC has the ability and the responsibility to ban these toxic chemicals and protect Long Islanders from unnecessary and harmful exposures.

How you can help:
Write letters to the DEC and to your NYS legislators. Tell them to protect our drinking water from being contaminated by dangerous toxic pesticides. Urge them to immediately ban the use of the three most prevalent pesticides detected in Long Island's groundwater- metalaxyl, imidacloprid, and atrazine!

Letter writing tips:

Print your name and address under your signature.
Make sure your letter is legible and in your own words.
Focus your letter on the need to protect our drinking water. There are alternative pest control methods, but there is only one source of drinking water.
Urge the DEC to immediately ban the use of metalaxyl, imidacloprid, and atrazine on Long Island!
Ask them to respond in writing, telling you how soon these chemicals can be banned.

Write to:

Eugene Leff
Deputy Commissioner
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-1010

Vincent A. Palmer
Special Assistant to the Commissioner
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
50 Circle Road
Stony Brook, NY 11790-3409

Identify and email/write your NYS Senator

Identify and email/write your NYS Assembly member

CCE's comments to the DEC on the LI Pesticide Use Management Plan

Read the letter to the DEC that 22 groups signed onto

More information on the worst three toxic offenders

More information on case for a zero tolerance policy

Updated by bsmith 1/27/12

Ban the Top Three Harmful Pesticides