Baltimore City Council Votes For Stricter Regulation Of Toxic Pesticides

Earlier this month, the Baltimore city council voted in favor of a bill that regulates three toxic pesticides.

The bill restricts the use of chlorpyrifos, neonicotinoids, and glyphosate which is the main ingredient in the popular Roundup weed killer.

The restriction applies to the Baltimore City area, including school and park properties.

These pesticides have been discovered to threaten not only public health but also pollinators like bees and other insects, as well as water ecosystems.

According to CBS Baltimore, the bill is on its way to Mayor Jack Young’s desk for a signature.

“Scientists, farmers, beekeepers and advocates have sounded the alarm: These toxic pesticides have got to go. We’re grateful to Councilwoman Clarke for sponsoring this legislation and to the Council for voting it through. We encourage Mayor Young to sign this ordinance into law. Our pollinators are dying at an unprecedented rate and banning these chemicals is a critical first step to protecting our bees, our food and our planet.”

Those who violate the pending regulation could face an environmental or civil citation or a misdemeanor, with a potential file of $250.

The bill also requires the city’s sustainability office to file biennial reports recommending any possible legislative changes related to pesticides.