Portland Public Schools (PPS) Pesticide Policy

(This is an excerpt from the Sustainable Business Practices policy adopted by the PPS Board of Education on May 21, 2001)

District staff will implement the following strategies where feasible:

i. Implement an integrated pest management program that includes the following practices:

A.  Reduce and eliminate where feasible, the use of chemical pesticides. Pesticides classified as Group A (known) or Group B (likely) carcinogens are prohibited.  Any pesticide used by the District must have a current EPA Registration and must be used in strict compliance with labeling information and EPA regulatory controls.

B.  Seek practical alternatives to the use of pesticides.

C. Provide notice to the building principal of use seven to ten days before intended application of pesticide or herbicide, except in those instances where rodent or similar infestation creates an imminent risk of danger to students and staff, so that the principal shall notify the school community by notice and posting both before and for a reasonable period after application.

D. Report annually on practices

E.  It is not District policy to apply herbicides for aesthetic purposes but to prevent damage to grounds and buildings.  Except for circumstances where the health or safety of the community or the integrity of physical structures or grounds are threatened, the District will honor a school's request to designate part or all of the grounds as a pesticide-free zone on an annual basis.



This site created and maintained by Portland Parents for Alternatives to Pesticides (PPAP).  This page was last updated February 2003.