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By WILLIAM G. BROADDUS
Rappahannock Newt Contributing Writer
Few would dispute the contribution pesticides have made to public health, agriculture and protection of property.
Their usefulness has widespread appeal. Virtually every home has at least one container of pesticide — bug spray, rat poison, weed killer, athlete’s foot powder or flea soap — to fight some kind of pest.
But pesticides — a generic name for insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and other biocides — are by their nature deadly. They are meant to be poisonous, and must be released into the environment to reach their intended target.
Public concern is growing as human health and environmental problems are being linked frequently to pesticide use. Several recent incidents have raised concerns about Virginia’s management of pesticides.
h or example, contamination of a Richmond County drinking water well in 1987 was attributed to leakage from a pesticide storage facility. Even more tragic was the misuse of a home fumigant by a commercial home pest control company that resulted in the deaths of homeowners in southwestern Virginia.
Widespread chemical assaults on the environment can result in imme
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