PESTICIDE BOARD 

 Lewis Wells, Program Supervisor 



The Pesticide Board and its staff were transferred into the Department 

 if Food and Agriculture from the Department of Environmental Quality Engineer- 

 ,ng in January 1978 by Chapter 3 of the Acts of 1978 which created 132B of 

 .he General LawSo 



This Chapter also provided for several other significant changes 

 rem the statute it replaced. The Board was enlarged and for the first time 

 ertain interests were mandated to be represented in the public membership 

 ncluding farmers, environmentalists, a toxicologist, a physician, and a 



|:ommercial applicator of pesticides. A subcommittee of the Board was 

 :harged with the duty of registering pesticides, and certain changes were 

 ffected to make Massachusetts law compatible with the amended Federal 



insecticide. Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) „ 



I In mid March, 1978 the offices of the Board were moved to 100 

 :ambridge Street. 



In this fiscal year, the effort to carry out certification of those 

 7ho apply or supervise the application of restricted pesticides was con- 

 ;inued even though the complete statutory basis was lacking. This work 

 /as carried out largely with state funds until the necessary changes in 

 :he statute were made. Approximately 5,000 examinations were given, 

 ;orrectedf and the results placed or file^ 



After the enactment of the new legislation, a state plan for 

 :arrying out certification was prepared for submittal to EPA and new 

 regulations were drafted in accordance with the new legislation. 



The state plan and the new regulations were presented for review 

 oy the new Board upon its establishments in June, 1978. 



In addition to the above activities, nineteen investigations of 

 pesticide incidents or alleged pesticide incidents were made^ One en- 

 forcment action was taken. 



The appropriated badget for the Board's activities during the 

 fiscal year was $37,750. 



