2015-04-08 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Statement on Herbicide Applications The health and well-being of our neighbors and community residents is of critical importance to us and we appreciate the concern a few have had about the use of chemical products on our lawns and common areas. As you will note below, we have thought through this issue very deliberately. Our view is, as with prescription and non-prescription medications and a host of commonly-used household chemical products we all use, the safety concern lies not in the actual use of the product but in the misapplication or misuse by those not following the product label. There is no shortage of products we all have in our homes that if used incorrectly, can be of danger. So when it comes to keeping our turf healthy,green,weed and pest free, it is why we trust our service to TruGreen,the largest professional lawncare company in the United States. As the industry leader, their educated and trained professionals are vigilant regarding the products they use and how and where they are applied. We have worked with them on a very targeted approach to herbicide use on the grass and remain very comfortable with our decision and their professionalism in this area. Specifically, our decision is based on: 1. Employ Trained Professionals. Our overall commitment to neighborhood safety is reflected by our decision to use a professional turf care company to apply needed products. We use the largest professional turf care company in America that employs a trained team of professionals who only use products that have been vigorously tested and registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(US EPA) and approved for use in the State of Illinois. 2. Follow Best Practices. The best practices related to herbicide application reflect an Integrated Pest Management(IPM) approach to turf care. As US EPA notes on its "Integrated Pest Management" website, IPM calls for the use of herbicides just in the areas where they are needed and not on a wide-area basis. Similarly, it notes that fertilizers should be applied several times during the year, rather than just using one heavy application a year. As a result, the turf care company we employ does not "blanket" the turf with herbicides for broadleaf weeds; rather,they focus them just on the problem areas. For more information,visit http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm/. 3. Use the Right Products to Minimize Risk. The products that are applied to our property do not contain any of the active ingredients that either the International Agency for Research on Cancer or the US EPA have classified as known or probable carcinogens, nor are likely to be carcinogenic. The products are mixed and applied in a highly diluted solution as instructed by the manufacturer's label. A typical fertilizer or weed control mixture will consist of 92%water. 4. Products Applied are Well Known. Products used are no different than any product anyone can purchase at Lowe's, Home Depot or at a local lawn and garden center—the only difference is in our case they are applied by educated, trained and experienced professionals that are properly licensed/ certified by the state. 25