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The following letter to the West Hartford Town Council on Wednesday, June 3, and the author asked that it also be published on We-Ha.com.

Dear Mayor Cantor and the West Hartford Town Council,

I would like to bring three serious environmental concerns to your attention.

1. The noise level created by the gas-powered lawn equipment used by landscapers in this town is intolerable. Whether they are on my neighbor’s lawn, on town property, or on various other lawns that I pass when I am taking a walk, I am overwhelmed by the ear-splitting noise. The sound penetrates the walls of my house as well. Loud noise is known to cause permanent hearing loss as well as psychological and cardiovascular stress. This can happen at 85 decibels of sound but lawn equipment can register 95 decibels or more.
2. All these machines are gas-powered and emit toxic fumes polluting our air. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lawn equipment produces more harmful air pollution than the automobile.
3. I am dismayed to see the little yellow warning signs on town property indicating the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides. Must we poison our animals, fish and possibly ourselves in order to beautify our town? Can’t we overcome our need for perfectly manicured, weed free, overly fertilized lawns?

West Hartford is the recipient of Gold Level and Climate Leader certification from Sustainable CT, yet the dirty little secret is that we do not limit noise levels from landscaping machines, we do not ban gas-powered machines, and we continue to use toxic chemicals on public lawns. Let us not forget the health and welfare of the workers who are exposed to this noise and poison every day.I implore you to make West Hartford a true environmental leader by banning the use of gas-powered lawn equipment in our town and discontinuing the use of toxic chemicals on public property.

Respectfully yours,

Jane Roth
West Hartford