After pressure from parents and local environmental activists, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has nixed plans to spray Malibu school athletic fields with rodenticide on Saturday.
Earlier this week, parents were notified about the planned application of diphacinone, an anticoagulant product used to ward off rodents. SMMUSD had planned on spraying it on middle and high school ball fields.
Malibu groups such as Poison Free Malibu helped pass a city resolution discouraging the use of such anticoagulants and urging local stores to take rodenticides off their shelves. The city also pledged to stop using rodenticides.
After parents voiced their concerns to Supt. Sandra Lyon on Thursday, she responded letting them know, “We have cancelled the application for Saturday and our staff will be coordinating and working with city staff about how we move forward so we can make sure the field is safe for athletic use.”