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new york will become the first state in the us to require homeowners to post warning flags to alert their neighbours when they use pesticides on their lawns. The measure, which is expected to be passed in both houses of the state's legislature, will take effect next spring.

"Parents and homeowners have the right to know when pesticides are being used so that they can take reasonable and necessary precautions to safeguard their children, pets and themselves from unnecessary exposure to these chemicals," said Carl Marcellino, a senator who introduced the legislation.

Under the Bill, homeowners are required to post warning flags around their property prior to using bug-killing chemicals. The commercial users will have to give a written notice before using the chemicals.

The counties will have an option of requiring 48-hour notice by homeowners and commercial applicators to alert their neighbours, within 46 metres, whenever certain applications are to occur.

Environmental organisations and breast-cancer activists hailed the new agreement, while members of the chemical industry said that they were dissatisfied with the measure. "We generally support a notification registry of people who want to be notified, but disagree with universally notifying people," said Allen James, executive director of the Washington-based Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (rise), that represents pesticide suppliers, manufacturers and distributors. "We want to reduce the burden of notifying hundreds of thousands of people, but provide information to those who want it," he said.

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