The Activist: Jay Feldman

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America website (gcsaa.org) says that pesticides are safe when used correctly, and that on average there are 120 studies at a $50 million cost before approval for a pesticide is granted by the EPA.
That's an outdated statement, and it wasn't even correct at the time it was made. I think the golf-course superintendents feel at some risk -- they're the ones delivering the toxic chemical to the site and are therefore at risk of litigation. They're saying, "Look, we're doing what's legal; we can't be subject to litigation here." Well, there's a Supreme Court case from 2005 called Bates v. Dow, where a bunch of peanut growers in Texas sued Dow Chemical for crop failure. Dow maintained that the farmers were pre-empted by federal and state law that registered pesticides as acceptable. The Supreme Court basically said to Dow Chemical, "Sorry, guys, you don't have protection from the federal regulatory system in the U.S." There's nothing in the world that should preclude litigation against the users or manufacturers of pesticides, because we know full well that the regulatory system can be deficient in so many ways.

So could you ever imagine a golfer developing, say, cancer, and suing the GCSAA, or the golf course where he or she plays?
Oh, yeah, I think any corporate entity is opening itself up to liability when it uses these chemicals. We're exposed from a lot of different sources, however, so it would be difficult to prove. But yes, I think there will be cases in the future. The Bates decision really opens up the liability issue. [Note: Feldman goes on to detail the case of Liza Prior's action against a pesticide manufacturer. Her husband, 30-year-old Naval Flight Officer Lt. George Prior, played golf for three straight days in August 1982, developed flu-like symptoms soon afterward, then suffered a nightmarish rash across his body that essentially stripped away his skin. He suffered kidney failure and, after two weeks of intense pain, slipped into a coma and died. The case was settled out of court.]

I don't want to blame the GCSAA. But one of the problems we've had with them is in fully disclosing that they take money from the chemical companies. The chemical companies always have their hand in the trade associations. So there tends to be this alliance. They walk together in lock step. And because of this, it becomes a pro-pesticide industry. It's because of the money, the flow of funds. Ask them how much money they get from the chemical companies. It's an eye-opener to golfers who just assume that they're representing the interests of golf.

Follow the money?
Follow the money. [Note: The GCSAA, which partners with Golf Digest in the annual Environmental Leaders in Golf awards program, was given the opportunity to respond to Feldman's comments. Greg Lyman, GCSAA director of environmental programs, provided the following statement: "According to a study by University of Florida researchers regarding exposure, they concluded that when used according to the label directions, pesticides approved for use on golf-course turf are believed to NOT post a real health risk to either the workers who apply the chemicals or to others who may come into contact with the chemicals after application, including golfers. One of those Florida researchers, Dr. Chris Borgert, a toxicologist, said, 'Exposure to chemicals on the golf course under normal circumstances is certainly not something I would worry about.'

"GCSAA has never shied away from communicating its relationship with industry partners who produce golf-course-management products. These companies provide funds that help enable us to deliver programs and services to our members and the golf industry. Many of these programs are focused on environmental management. It behooves us to work cooperatively with these manufacturers so that we can gather and distribute reliable and accurate information to our members. We believe we have a healthy and appropriate relationship that does not impact the impartiality or objectivity of our efforts to distribute accurate information about pesticides to our members.

"GCSAA, through its philanthropic arm, The Environmental Institute for Golf, is focused on ensuring golf's compatibility with the environment. Whether it is through funding scientific research, delivering environmentally based education, communicating best-management practices, conducting environmental studies or developing environmentally directed programs and services, the association is a leader in the golf industry. In addition, GCSAA has developed strong relationships with state and federal environmental agencies to ensure that golf courses are operated as community assets, especially from an environmental perspective."]

But golfers want to play courses in good condition. What alternatives do superintendents have to pesticides? What should they be doing?
The easy answer is, organic practices. Organic is still evolving in terms of lawns and landscapes. In agriculture, it's far ahead. The growth of the organic agricultural sector in the last 10 years has been phenomenal. You're looking at a $20 billion-plus industry, and we could see the same transition in non-agricultural land management such as home lawn and garden and golf-course management.