(New York, N.Y.) The E.P.A. and The Virgin Islands' Department of Planning and Natural Resources will host a conference on Wednesday, November 18, at the Charles W. Turnbull Regional Library on Saint Thomas to educate hotel owners, hospitality workers, pesticide applicators, business operators and the general public on how they can reduce the use of pesticides. The conference will feature pest control experts who will share ways to address pests with fewer or less toxic chemicals, as well as an approach called Integrated Pest Management.
"Pesticides can be extremely toxic to people, and they should be used with extreme caution," said E.P.A. Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "By using integrated pest management practices, we can reduce the amount of pesticides in the environment- protecting people from long and short-term illnesses."
"DPNR is proud to host this conference which will allow our local population to take a proactive approach to pest management by eliminating those environmental factors that help pests thrive and to when necessary, utilize more environmental friendly products," said DPNR Commissioner Dawn L. Henry, Esq.,
Integrated Pest Management practices help prevent pests from becoming a threat by taking action to address the underlying causes that enable pests to thrive. These actions, such as repairing water leaks, adding weather stripping to windows, and installing door sweeps, reduce pesticide use and treatment costs while reducing water and energy costs, as well. The IPM approach is a stark contrast to conventional pest management in which an exterminator uses pesticides, potentially exposing people to harmful chemicals, with little emphasis on removing the underlying conditions that make certain areas inviting to pests.
Some pesticides have been linked to various forms of illnesses in people, ranging from skin and eye irritation, to neurological damage and cancer. Some pesticides may also affect the hormone or endocrine systems.
To attend the Integrated Pest Management Conference, please RSVP at:
http://epa-r2-ipm.eventbrite.com
Event Details:
Integrated Pest Management Conference
Time:
November 18, 2015
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location:
Charles W. Turnbull Regional Library
4607 Estate Tutu
Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802
For more information on this conference, please email or call Beth Soltani at
[email protected] or 212-637-5038.
For more information on Integrated Pest Management, visit:
http://www2.epa.gov/safepestcontrol.
Follow E.P.A. Region two on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and Facebook at
http://facebook.com/eparegion2.
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