Pesticides And Public Health

To the Editor:

I am shocked and disgusted to receive a mailing from the Yale School of Public Health and the Connecticut Department of Public Health asking me to participate in a program that would allow application of a pesticide to my yard in an effort to study tick-borne diseases.

Any pesticide spread on the ground gets into the ground water, which gets into the well water, which gets into my drinking water. I learned this from a seminar given by the Department of Environmental Protection years ago.

I can’t imagine why anyone would want to drink pesticide, and I think the risks from pesticides are far more serious than the risk of a tick bite.

A can’t imagine anything more irresponsible than trying to recruit people whose drinking water comes from wells and to contaminate their water.

I also don’t appreciate my tax dollars going into this debacle.

If this subject bothers you too, you might want to call 888-668-1856 or e-mail them at betickfree@yale.edu or write Yale School of Public Health, Emerging Infections Program, One Church Street, 7th floor, New Haven, CT 06510

Very truly yours,

Priscilla Howland Loewerstine

9 Longview Heights Road, Newtown                          March 26, 2011