PESTICIDE PROGRAM 

 Lewis F. Wells, Jr., Program Supervisor 



Regulation of pesticides in Massachusetts is carried out under authority 

 granted by Chapter 132B of the General Laws. Control of the use and applica- 

 tion of pesticides is vested in the Department of Food and Agriculture. 



The Pesticide Board which is chaired by the Commissioner of Food and Agri- 

 culture has three functions: (1) Providing advice to the Department of Food 

 and Agriculture as to policy relative to the implementation of the Massachu- 

 setts Pesticide Control Act (Chapter 132B) , (2) Approving of all regulations 

 promulgated by the Department and, (3) Acting as an appeal body accessible to 

 any person agrieved by an action of the Department as it enforces the law and 

 its rules and regulations which pertain to pesticides. The registration of 

 pesticide products and the issuance of experimental permits are the responsi- 

 bility of a subcommittee of the Pesticide Board. 



The Pesticide Program is concerned, to a great extent, with day to day 

 regulatory functions: licensing, inspection, investigation, and the taking of 

 enforcement action when indicated. The program staff also acts as the admin- 

 istrative and technical staff of the Pesticide Board and the subcommittee of 

 that Board and provides technical consultation to other state agencies, muni- 

 ipalities, and to the general public. The latter function, although not 

 specifically found in the law, fills a great need in this time of rapidly 

 changing knowledge and attitudes as regards pesticides and their effects on 

 humans and other components of the environment. The focus of the staff's ac- 

 tivities in this regard is first to aid in the determination of whether or 

 not pesticide use is indicated. If pesticide use is indicated, those pesti- 

 cide uses which are legally possible under the circumstances at hand are dis- 

 cussed. Finally, advice is given as to which of such uses are most suitable 

 for the situation at hand and what precautions or operational proceedures will 

 be likely to minimize the environmental impact of those pesticides which are 

 used. 



This technical consultation function of the Pesticide Program is as val- 

 uable as the enforcement aspects of tho total program whose major goal is to 

 change the pattern of pesticide use so as to lessen environmental impact. 



During Fiscal Year 1981, the wide scope of the program's actions included 

 the following : 



1. 3649 persons were certified to apply or supervise the application of 

 restricted pesticides. 



2. 577 persons were licensed to apply general use pesticides to land of 

 another for hire or to apply restricted pesticides in such circum- 

 stances under the direct supervision of certified persons. 



3. 115 persons were licensed as dealers in restricted pesticides. 



4. 197 inspections and investigations of pesticides incidents were carried 

 out. 



5. 24 enforcement actions were taken. 



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