I am glad to see that the Silvermine Community Association is collecting trash on Earth Day. I would love the SCA to bring awareness to a more dangerous threat to Silvermine and all of this area of Connecticut, and that is the proliferation of cheerful yellow signs indicating that herbicides have been used.

Despite "EPA approval" of these chemicals, their use has been recognized by such groups as the American Lymphoma Society and the American Cancer Society as raising by SEVEN times the rate of cancers amongst children whose yards are treated. Savvy vets also warn their clients not to use these lawn chemicals, as the pets are at increased risk of cancer.

Yet lovely neighborhoods sport these signs as if they were announcing something cheerful and innocuous, as opposed to carcinogenic. Many organic lawn care companies exist now, and the other option is to embrace heterogeneous lawns rather than the one-species lawn, which also requires more water for maintenance.

I hope that SCA brings residents' awareness to keeping the area safe and healthy for people, pets and wildlife.

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