DEP ADOPTS AMENDMENTS TO PESTICIDE REGULATIONS
The state Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) has adopted amendments to state pesticide regulations
that upgrade training and licensing requirements for pesticide
applicators, require the use of least hazardous pesticides
and more effective public notification for community spraying
programs, and prohibit false or misleading advertising of
pesticide products.
The rule amendments were proposed in February
following extensive discussions with numerous stakeholders
over several years. The proposal received overall support
during the public hearing and public comment period, and
the final amendments were published in the November 19th
edition of the "New Jersey Register."
"These rules are designed to protect
public health and the environment through prudent pesticide
use," said DEP Commissioner Bob Shinn. "These
amendments represent a major overhaul of our comprehensive
pesticide regulations and will enhance public health protection
through better licensing, training and pesticide application
requirements."
The new regulations require licensed commercial
pesticide applicators to attend and pass standardized training
courses, and require private applicators, such as farmers,
who are unlicensed, to obtain a license to apply any pesticides.
The rules also prohibit non-agricultural
aerial application of broad-spectrum chemical pesticides
and instead require the use of biological controls or the
least hazardous alternative when conducting, for example,
community gypsy moth control spraying. Exceptions include
significant outbreaks.
In addition, the new rules also establish
a notification system for outdoor pesticide applications
within 250 feet of school grounds, when using high-pressure
equipment that is more likely to cause the pesticide to
drift.
They also prohibit misleading advertising
of pesticide products such as those falsely claiming to
be organic or environmentally friendly, and make the state'
s pesticide regulations at least as stringent as federal
rules. The regulations also include new storage and spill
control requirements for retailers selling any pesticide
products to the public.
Applicators with questions about the new
rules, and citizens who suspect violations, are urged to
call the DEP Pesticide Control Program at 609-984-6568.
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