If your county has not yet adopted the Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law and you want to have this protection, here are some steps you can take.

1. Get involved!
Call or write your county legislator and urge him or her to support the Neighbor Notification law.
Onondaga County
Rockland County
More counties coming soon!

2. Form a working group.
If you are interested in working for the right to know about pesticide use in your community, complete the contact form below and we will add your name to our activist database. We may be able to hook you up with other people in your county who are already working on this issue.

3. Build your coalition.
More than one hundred groups across the state endorse the Neighbor Notification law. Many of these groups have local chapters that may join the effort in your county. If you would like your organization added to this list, complete the contact form below.

4. Arm yourself with the facts.
The Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law covers a lot of ground, and can be confusing. The pesticide applicators are vigorously opposing this law, with misleading arguments and toothless alternatives. County law-makers often don't understand the law and are swayed by industry lobbying efforts. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources to help you better understand the law and why it is needed. Groups like NYPIRG and Environmental Advocates can provide you with the facts to counter the industry's arguments. Send your questions to pesticides@nypirg.org.

5. Learn how your County government works.
You can find out who your county legislator is, get maps of county legislative districts, and contact information by calling your county Board of Elections. Most counties have this information on their websites - for a link to county websites, go to the New York State Association of Counties. Call the Clerk of the County Legislature (or Board of Supervisors) to find out when the legislature meets and how it is structured.

6. Find a champion.
You will need to find a sympathetic and effective legislator who will introduce the Neighbor Notification law and help shepherd it through the legislative process. It is best to have the bill cosponsored by both Democrats and Republicans. Often the bill will be sent to numerous committees for review before a vote can take place. The more experienced the bill sponsor is, and the more cosponsors it has, the better its chances of success.

7. Mobilize your troops.
Getting a bill introduced is just the beginning. There will be committee meetings, public hearings, and other opportunities to speak out in support of this law. It is important that you have a strong showing at these meetings, as you can be certain that the pesticide industry will have representatives there. And nothing means more to county legislators than being contacted by their own constituents. Calls and letters can have a lot of impact.

8. Educate, educate, educate!
There are limitless opportunities for raising public awareness for the need to reduce pesticide exposure. Some of the things you can do include:

• letters to the editor
• presentations to local organizations, such as PTAs and garden clubs
  
• meetings with county legislators and agency officials
• local resolutions in support of the law
• petition and letter-writing drives
• radio call-in shows

Even after it passes, the Neighbor Notification law opens up whole new avenues for educating the public about the health hazards of pesticide use and the ready availability of safer alternatives.

To receive a citizen information kit on how to get the Neighbor Notification law in your community, contact NYPIRG at 518-436-0876 or e-mail us at pesticides@nypirg.org. Make sure to include your name, address, phone number, and the county that you live in.

Contact Form Join the Coalition In Support of Pesticide Neighbor Notification To join our activist list please fill out the form below. You will receive e-mail alerts about Neighbor Notification issues in your county and across the state.
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Please check all that apply: I support the Neighbor Notification Campaign I will: attend legislative meetings call or write my county legislator write a letter to the editor My organization will: Endorse the Neighbor Notification Law Send a written memo in support of Neighbor Notification to county law-makers Publicize this issue to its membership I will allow NYPIRG to share my e-mail address with local activists working on Neighbor Notification Comments:

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