Greiner endorses pesticide report prepared by ETF

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM
News Services Editor

In response to the findings of a Pesticide Report prepared for him by the Environmental Task Force, a university-wide environmental group, President William R. Greiner has endorsed the group's recommendation that the university explore alternatives to chemical herbicides as part of an integrated pesti-cide management program.

The president's endorsement means that MEC AMINE-D, a broadleaf herbicide used to kill dandelions along campus entranceways and near Alumni Arena last year for Commencement Weekend, will not be applied to campus lawns this year.

"President Greiner has supported the spirit of the ETF request and he has met us more than halfway," said Mike Dupre, associate vice president for university facilities and ETF chair.

Greiner's decisions were communicated to the ETF after a meeting he held last week with Dupre.

"In essence, we are returning to the practices that have been followed since 1991 when the use of broadleaf herbicides was suspended until their use again just prior to last year's commencement," Dupre stated in a memo to ETF members.

The ETF report was prepared in response to Greiner's challenge to the group last year that it provide him with both scientific information discussing the dangers and risks of pesticide use and data regarding "demonstrated results" on non-chemical alternatives.

Earlier this month, the ETF presented Greiner and Senior Vice President Robert J. Wagner with the report, which called for immediate elimination of all broadleaf weed control, establishment of an integrated pesticide management program and development of an educational program on the environmental and public-health risks posed by pesticide use.

"Based on the work that was done in the ETF, Mike's recommendation was that we do lawn control differently than we have been doing and I said OK-let's see what we can do," said Greiner. "What we had here was a very symbolic and emotional issue and we have come to a very emotionally satisfying point. There's a good, solid intellectual foundation to this. We'll see how it works."

Written by Stacey Vaeth, a 2000 graduate of UB's Environmental Studies program and an ETF member, the report discusses the documented dangers of each of the pesticides currently used on campus. (The report is available at http://wings.buffalo.edu/sa/uben)

The report recommends that the UB Grounds Department, in collaboration with the ETF, work to develop a comprehensive integrated campus pest management (IPM) program.

The report includes sections on other universities that take an IPM approach to lawn-care, such as the University of Rochester, which not only does not cut its dandelions, it celebrates them by having the dandelion as the university flower.

The report also mentions how UB's "green" efforts can play a key role in its environmental portfolio, creating an attractive marketing opportunity for the university.

While broadleaf herbicides, such as MEC AMINE-D, will not be applied to kill dandelions on lawns and entranceways, Roundup, another herbicide, will continue to be used for the forseeable future on cracks and around signposts on campus.

According to Greiner, athletic playing fields also will continue to be treated with herbicides, because of concerns about potential injuries to athletes. But the ETF is exploring alternatives for these areas as well.

Dupre noted that such efforts will require additional staff resources, as well as additional funding.

To reduce the presence of dandelions during the next two weeks, grounds staff will be doing additional, intense mowing during evenings and just prior to commencement activities. Grounds staff report that the use of overtime staffing and gasoline to do the additional mowing will cost approximately the same as what the pesticide applications cost.