Interview with Kathleen Hallal, Co-Director of Non Toxic Communities.

Interview with Kathleen Hallal

Co-Executive Director of Non Toxic Communities

Kathleen Hallal is the mother of three teens who were diagnosed with autoimmune issues at a young age. She became aware of environmental factors when searching for ways to improve their health. Over the years, she spoke with doctors, farmers, retired government scientists, university researchers, and others who all told her the same thing, namely, that pesticides used on crops and in the environment have a definite negative effect on children’s health. Fully 54% of US children now have a chronic health condition, and the numbers are climbing. Wanting to do something about this, she co-founded Non Toxic Communities with her partner Diana Carpinone of Dover, New Hampshire, and they both began to work to bring about change in their communities with the help of Beyond Pesticides. Working through her District’s PTA, she led a movement to convince her school district, and then her city, to adopt organic methods and to stop using toxic products for maintenance. Kathleen served on the Mayor’s Advisory Council attending to environmental matters. The City of Irvine now enjoys parks that proudly post signs touting organic maintenance. Kathleen and Diana are working to guide others to successfully introduce organic landscaping practices for their communities, and helping to connect staff with professionals who can teach them the methods that result in municipalities that are both safe and beautiful. Both Kathleen and Diana have been trained and certified by the New England Organic Farming Association. 

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