PSR-LA's Current Pesticide Work

PSR-LA’s work centers on reducing the use of and exposure to harmful pesticides in the home, with a particular focus on low-income, communities of color. 

PSR-LA’s strategy to reduce urban pesticide use includes the following activities:

• Creating market demand for safer pest control by securing commitments to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and existing IPM certifications programs, such as Green Shield Certified, from property management companies, low-income housing developers and local governments in the greater Los Angeles area.

• Conducting public education, training and technical assistance on the health impacts of pesticide use and IPM to groups working on healthy homes issues and health professionals.

• Working with Californians for Pesticide Reform to pass statewide legislation that promotes low-risk pest control and reduces exposure to harmful pesticides.

CREATING MARKET DEMAND FOR LOW-RISK PEST CONTROL

PSR-LA has engaged several of the largest low-income housing developers and property managers in the Los Angeles area in a strategy to decrease the use of harmful pesticides in their buildings through the integration of IPM and Green Shield Certification. Our housing partners include: Community Corporation of Santa Monica, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, Little Tokyo Service Center, and Los Angeles Community Design Center.

To date, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation and Los Angeles Community Design Center have committed to integrating IPM in their apartment buildings.

PSR-LA has also begun working with Los Angeles-area pest control providers to increase their use of IPM by becoming Green Shield Certified. In March 2008, Colby Pest Control became the first Green Shield certified IPM provider in southern California!

In order to create viable markets for IPM in southern California PSR-LA is advocating for the adoption of IPM policies at the county and city-level. To date, PSR-LA has engaged the County of Ventura in its IPM campaign. Ventura is presently in the process of developing an IPM program for its county buildings-a program based on the city of Santa Barbara’s very successful policy. PSR-LA is also developing a campaign in the city of Los Angeles to win adoption of IPM in all city-owned and managed buildings.

Our partnerships with local governments, businesses and nonprofits supports and builds the demand for safer, more effective pest control options.

HEALTHY HOMES WORK

One of PSR-LA’s key partners in its IPM work is the Healthy Homes Collaborative. The Collaborative is an association of community-based and health organizations committed to eliminating environmental hazards in homes in Los Angeles County.

Picture of conventional pesticide products sold at area hardware and home improvement stores.

Within the Collaborative PSR-LA is leading the development and implementation of an IPM campaign in the greater Los Angeles area. The goal of the campaign is to decrease the use of pesticides in low-income buildings in Los Angeles through education, organizing, enforcement of existing code violations and potentially new policy creation and adoption.

(Check out this article, Bed-Bugs and Beyond, written by PSR-LA, which discusses low-risk pest control alternatives and why housing advocates need to be aware of the risks associated with using conventional pesticides.)

PSR-LA is beginning to work with area community clinics and health professionals to increase their awareness of pesticide poisoning signs and symptoms. Pesticide poisonings are difficult to diagnose and recognize as they present similar to the common cold or flu. However, doctors are required to report pesticides poisonings or illness to their local health officer within 24 hours. (See PSR-LA's flyer on What Doctors Should Know about Pesticide Poisonings.)

PSR-LA also continues to train and educate hundreds of healthy homes advocates on the use of IPM and how to decrease exposure to harmful pesticides in the home.

In 2005, PSR-LA produced a series of low-risk pest management education tools for organizers and health promoters as a means to address the overuse and misuse of highly toxic pesticides in sub-standard housing. These tools assist in organizing residents to advocate for the reduced use of hazardous pesticides in rental apartments across Los Angeles.

In 2007 PSR-LA trained over 200 organizers and health promoters from partner organizations such as St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, Pacoima Beautiful, Coalition for Economic Survival and People’s Core, just to name a few.