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Kristin Fourie – Perspectives – REAL Community

Going Green

By Kristin Fourie

The recent Round Up lawsuit resulting in a payout of $289 million to a school groundskeeper who was diagnosed with terminal cancer after using the product, raises questions about the chemicals we use in and around our associations regularly. Are certain maintenance products harmful to residents and can the Association be held liable for damages incurred? Are ‘green’ products effective? How does the use of maintenance products effect algae in our ponds? A panel of local professionals covered this topic while addressing homeowner concerns. The Community Association Network Group (C.A.N.) offers complimentary educational seminars twice monthly for Association board members and managers. At the September C.A.N. meeting, the following panelists offered some information and helpful tips:

1) PESTICIDES: There are significant health problems that can be caused by pests with various treatments to keep them at bay. Dee Smith of Naturzone says, “If you’re going to be green, walk the walk or sit down! Naturzone has been the leader in green pest solutions since 1988 utilizing integrated pest management and truly writing the protocol for municipalities through education. We start at the lowest threshold, then adapt to the next stage, instead of going in and blasting any old chemical.”

When asked if an Association can be held liable if the Association fails to notice residents of pesticide treatment, local attorney Derrick Maginness of Norton, Hammersley, Lopez & Skokos said, “Chapter 482.2265 of the Florida Statues dictates the procedures for Pesticide Companies to follow in order to notice residents of application, however, the responsibility lies upon the resident to register with the state of any sensitivity they may have with regards to pesticides.”

2) ALGAE PREVENTION: Over-treating lakes creates a vicious cycle of algal blooms and chemical dependent ponds. Russ Hoffman of Beautiful Ponds says, “Environmentally friendly solutions such as microbial treatments and aerators will keep your lakes and ponds healthy, without the use of harsh chemicals.”

Storm water runoff is rain that does not soak into the ground or get absorbed by trees and plants. Instead, the rain falls on hard surfaces like buildings, parking lots and paved streets or flows off lawns into streets. As it flows over these surfaces, it picks up pollutants, including lawn fertilizer, pet waste and oil residue from cars, before it empties untreated into our neighborhood creeks, canals and coastal waters.

3) ROOF ALGAE PREVENTION: Using green products to clean dirty roofs can reduce pollutants in our waterways. “Roof-A-Cide is the safest and most effective treatment to prevent roof stains” says Irene Graziosi of Roof-A-Cide-West. “Safe for people, pets and plants.”

“Once applied by an authorized company, you will never have to clean your roof again!” It is astounding how quickly mold can spread and become hazardous to your health. If mold is present for just one week, restoration time and cost increase dramatically.

4) MOLD REMOVAL: Most of us believe that using bleach to remove mold is the answer. However, WrightWay Emergency Services- Darrin Caldwell states, “ there are safer, environmentally friendly, and more effective chemicals that can be used. Not only is bleach a very caustic chemical, the mold it doesn’t kill can now be invisible to the human eye. The danger is still there, you just can’t see it now.”

We asked the National Director of CBIZ Insurance (Association Division), Matthew Mercier, how to keep our Associations covered against mold claims. he said,” The Association MUST have defined mold coverage in the property policy or a separate standalone mold policy to be afforded coverage if the peril of mold were to cause damage to any portions of the building that the association is responsible for.”

5) PAINTING: The two big health threats in paint are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emissions. VOCs are chemicals used to manufacture many household materials, including furniture, carpeting, pesticides and paint. Eric Lawson, Property Services Channel Manager of Florida Paints says, “Paints have changed a lot in the last 20 years. Most paints today have low VOC’s. For best safety practices: protect your eyes, wear a mask, and paint in well ventilated areas. Also remember to store paint in the smallest container possible.”

In addition to green maintenance products, the seminar also provided information on green energy solutions.

6) POOL HEATING: Troy Conner of Symbiont Service Corp showed us the benefits of geothermal pool heating and A/C. He says, “You can save up to 70 to 80% on your pool heating costs by installing a geothermal pool heating system. Additionally, a tax credit of 30% is available for geothermal A/C if installed before 12/31/2019!”

The seminar proved to be very informative and timely. Many of the attendees stayed after the seminar to ask the professionals additional questions. For information about the complimentary seminars offered at C.A.N. go to: communityassociationnetworkgroup.com.

Kristin Fourie founded CORE marketing solutions to provide targeted marketing and business development services to local companies at a fraction of the costs of a full time marketing firm. As your advocate, she works with corporate firms to increase your visibility and reinforce your credibility. Kristin may be contacted at (941) 321-6078, kristinfourie@coremarketingsolutions.net – www.coremarketingsolutions.net/.