Founding Principles
NO MORE SPRAYS
Since 1991, Environmental Coalition Incorporated (ECI) has performed pest control services in office and medical buildings in the Houston TX area. Servicing no less than 750 commercial properties, our portfolio is forever growing. ECI protects approximately one-third of Houston’s largest office buildings against pest activity. Cumulatively, our portfolio of accounts includes more than 200 million square feet. No other pest control company services more class A commercial office buildings and medical office facilities in the Houston TX metropolitan area than we do.
What makes us different? We were founded on one simple principle: pest elimination in tandem with risk abatement. A fancy phrase which, once defined, translates into reduced risk pest management. The phrase reduced risk is not generally associated with pest management and rightfully so. Pest control service providers are the only workers specifically contracted to walk into a building with the express intent to kill something. (Let that sink in for a moment.)
Q: What makes our services reduced risk?
A: We do not utilize spray pesticides in any home, office or medical facility we service.
WHY ARE PESTICIDE SPRAYS A BAD IDEA?
Liquid pesticides are mixed with water and sprayed on surfaces like baseboards, window and door frames and anywhere else a pest may lurk. When the water evaporates, the pesticide dries, leaving behind a solid toxic residue. The residue is what either kills or repels the pest(s). Unfortunately, we humans breathe these chemicals in minimal doses and for a chemical that has a shelf-life of 30 or 90 days, that equates to 30 – 90 days of minute pesticidal off-gas commingled with our indoor air. By eliminating the indoor sprays, we reduce the risks associated with typical pest management procedures. You do not have to take our word for it though:
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends, “Pesticides should be applied only while the building is unoccupied, and the building should be thoroughly ventilated before reoccupation.” Although no federal legislation requires it, the Environmental Protection Agency as well as OSHA have published identical recommendations.
- The General Services Administration (GSA) manages approximately 7,000 office buildings as an agency of the U.S. government. In January of 1993, the GSA mandated that pesticides must be applied before, during and after regular business hours so that “the stream of pesticide is never visible.” This mandate supersedes the joint opinion of NIOSH, EPA, and OSHA in that it disallows volatile pesticides from dissipating into the building’s atmosphere. Therefore, it does not require the building to be vacated or ventilated before reoccupation. The conventional broadcast spraying of pesticides cannot be performed in GSA buildings – certainly not while office workers are present!
- The Austin American-Statesman newspaper quoted the then Chairman of the Structural Pest Control Board of Texas as saying, “Make sure the (pest control) company is committed to IPM and “least-toxic” methods of pest control. Tools should not be: pressurized can sprayer. Understand that unconventional methods are slower, but much safer and more effective in the long run.” The statements were offered as consumer tips to those looking for “safe” alternatives to conventional applications of pesticides.
- Several years ago, a director of research, education, and technical resources for the National Pest Management Association stated that there is a proliferation of MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) lawsuits (personal injury and toxic tort). He went on record saying, “the pest control industry rarely sprays pesticides; rather, pest control operators usually perform discreet crack-and-crevice treatments.” Note: the hand-pumped stainless steel spray can carried by exterminators is used for broadcast spraying.
- According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the issue having the greatest risk to human health is indoor air pollution. This same Federal agency reported that indoor air could often be up to 100 times more polluted than the air in the out-of-doors. It is estimated that 25 million people are negatively affected by indoor air pollution. The effect has been measured in medical costs and lost productivity — $65 billion — the annual expense absorbed by American business!
Our competition will tell you that fogging is fine, as long as you use a least-toxic pesticide. Our take on it? There are better alternatives than fogging, so why introduce it into the discussion at all? Our competition will tell you that it is safe to spray throughout a facility and that they only use safe products. Do you know that it is against Texas Department of Agriculture mandates for any pest control company to claim that their service or the products they utilize are safe? Why? I point you to the last sentence in the first paragraph – Pest Control Service Providers Kill.
But you can breathe easy with Environmental Coalition Incorporated, knowing that our service methods are tried and true. Environmental Coalition Incorporated kicked the (spray) can over 25 years ago and never looked back. Sure, it is more time consuming than spraying and, in some cases, it may even cost more, but it is a better alternative and one that our highly skilled and highly trained technicians and certified applicators can be proud of.
About Environmental Coalition Incorporated Serving Houston TX
West University Place | Cloverleaf | Jacinto City | Conroe | Montgomery | Humble | The Woodlands | Spring | Baytown
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