The Wellesley Public Schools received high marks from the State Pesticide Bureau after a recent inspection at the Middle School. The bureau is in the process of conducting random checks of the approximately 7,000 public and private schools throughout the state. They are investigating compliance with a new state law, "An Act Protecting Children and their Families from Harmful Pesticides," Chapter 85 of the Acts of 2000, which governs pesticide use in and around all schools in Massachusetts.

The inspection at the middle school went well and, according to Dana Cotto, director of Buildings and Grounds at the Wellesley Public Schools, "we were even complimented on our school pest management plans."

The intent of the new law is to protect school children from exposure to the toxic chemicals found in insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other pesticides. These chemicals have been found to be associated with a wide range of adverse health effects, many even at low levels of exposure.

The law has a number of requirements, including the creation of both an indoor and an outdoor pest management plan. For the Wellesley Public Schools, these plans have been designed to eliminate all unnecessary uses of pesticides. They were written and approved last January by the schools, the Health Department, the Department of Public Works, and the Natural Resources Commission. The outdoor plan prohibits all use of pesticides on school grounds, except in a health emergency when there are no viable alternatives.

At schools, only licensed applicators can apply pesticides, which include herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, baits and other chemicals used to control pests. In the Wellesley Public Schools, these applicators currently include Waltham Chemical Company and the Department of Public Works.

No school may apply a pesticide which is a known, likely or probably carcinogen. There are fifty-five pesticides in this category, many of which are found in pest control products available at your local hardware or convenience store. Some examples of prohibited chemicals are the fungicide captan, the herbicide diuron, the flea control fenoxycarb, the grub control trichlorfon, the natural insecticide pyrethrin, and the head lice treatment lindane.

If pesticides are needed to control indoor school pests such as ants, cockroaches, mice and termites, the law requires that they only be applied in areas inaccessible to children or the general public. It is illegal to spray or fog any pesticide indoors at a school.

If pesticides are found to be necessary, all parents, students and staff must receive standard written notification two days in advance, the area to be treated must be posted with a sign, and no children can be present during application.

Complying with the new law has not been too difficult for the Wellesley Public Schools because they have historically used relatively few pesticides. In fact, the DPW actively researches safer alternatives to pesticides for maintaining town property. Several members of the Park and Tree Division at DPW have had professional training in non-toxic pest control methods and they continue to seek ways to keep the town's parklands, fields, trails and public areas in good condition without relying on the use of herbicides, insecticides and other pesticides.

Wellesley's Public Schools are working to protect children from exposure to pesticides and to fully comply with the law. However, private schools, day care centers, and school-age child care programs in Wellesley must also comply with this law. If your child attends one of these programs, find out if they have the required pest management plan in place. If they don't, have the school contact the Natural Resources Commission, 781-431-1019 x294, for assistance with learning about the law and setting up a plan. Full details of the law can be found on the state's Web site, www.state.ma.us/dfa/cpa.

Sarah Little, Ph.D. is Wellesley's pesticide awareness coordinator for the Natural Resources Commission.