Invitation for CT Pest Control Association Lobby Day at the State Capital – March 6th

Please join the CT Pest Control Association for a

Lobby Day at the State Capitol

Wednesday, March 6th

10:30 am, Meetings at 11:00 am

Legislative Office Building (LOB)

300 Capital Ave., Hartford

Meeting location: Lobby – 1st Floor of LOB

If you plan to attend and have not already registered with CTPCA, please email ctenvironmentalfacts@gmail.com with your name, home address and contact info.  Our lobbyists at Capitol Consulting can assist you in setting up a meeting with your legislators.

**Parking is available in the parking garage behind the LOB.  If first floor is full, head out and turn right to go to the back of the garage and park in the basement.

Talking Points for Lobby Day

PLEASE TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT THE USE OF NEONICOTINOIDS AND RODENTICIDE.

Senate Bill 190 AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF NEONICOTINOIDS has been introduced in the Environment to ban the use of Neonicotinoids with certain exceptions.

In 2016 a law was passed designating neonicotinoids as a restricted use pesticide and established the Pollinator Advisory Committee. This was a reasonable and responsible approach which achieved the original goal of protecting pollinator populations in Connecticut and putting neonicotinoids in the hands of professional certified applicators. Senate bill 190 will undo this beneficial law by banning neonicotinoids with only certain exceptions.

Neonicotinoids are a critical component of an Insect Pest Management (IPM) program, and without their proper use could lead to unintended consequences. As drafted this bill presents specific concerns and could:

• Lead to the use of alternative products that are less effective and pose a greater risk to pollinators, the environment and the public. Simply put, the alternative non-neonicotinoid products are more deadly to pollinators.
• Create the reliance on a single product which may lead to development of resistant pest populations.
• Limits the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) ability to respond to damaging and invasive insect infestations.

Instead of passing SB 190, the Connecticut General Assembly should:

• Wait for the EPA to rule on neonicotinoids. The EPA is in the final stages of a thorough review of neonicotinoids based on the latest data that will provide additional label restrictions required to reduce their impact on the public and pollinator populations. This report is due in 2024.

• More data is needed regarding the impact on pollinator populations in Connecticut. In fact, multiple state agencies, including members of the Pollinator Advisory Committee, indicate verroa mites, loss of habitat/poor nutrition, and disease are primary causes of decline in pollinator health, not the use of neonicotinoids. Current data suggests that managed pollinator colony decline is at or below levels currently accepted by the commercial pollinating industry (20% annual decline).

The Lawn care industry is ahead of the curve, using better suited products as early technology implementers. We control weeds before utilizing a grub preventer to avoid pollinator impact. I we have a cinch bug, we over seeding with high endophyte turf seed. However, if neonicotinoids are not available as part of the IPM process, it will result in treating a problem with a MORE toxic and MORE expensive product.

In summary:

• Connecticut Environmental Council support the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in their regulation and registration of these products in the state.

•  A fully staffed agency, complete with a state toxicologist is necessary to ensure that products registered in Connecticut are properly vetted. The addition of key staff to the agency would boost public support behind any regulatory action taken by the agency.

• Neonicotinoids are an essential part of Integrated Pest Management programs and Best Management Practices to manage invasive, non-native and nuisance insects. IPM/BMP is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks.

• Removing important insecticides from professionals, homeowners and property owners makes our state’s many layers of protection ineffective against harmful, invasive and nuisance insects that can cause irreparable and costly damage to our urban, suburban, and rural public health, safety, ecosystems, environment.

• Neonicotinoids represent a significant advancement in pesticide technology and are among the safest for people, applicators, and the environment.

• The proper use of pesticide products – including neonicotinoid insecticides – on plants, trees, turf grass, and ornamental shrubs will not harm pollinators when applicators read and follow all label directions.

For these reasons, we oppose SB 190 and the ban on Neonicotinoids in Connecticut.

House Bill 5217, AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF CERTAIN RODENTICIDES has been introduced to restrict the use and sale of second-generation rodenticides in order to protect the health of hawks and other raptors.

This bill would make second-generation rodenticide a restricted use product effective January 1, 2025 and effective October 1, 2024 restrict its use and sale.

In 2008 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a safety review of rat and mouse poison products. At the conclusion of that review, it was determined that second generation anticoagulants (rodenticide) would be restricted for use and could only be applied by professional applicators in the commercial and structural pest control markets.

Current restrictions, regulation and oversight already exist in Connecticut:

• The US EPA and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) regulate these products for efficacy, human health impacts and impacts to the environment. This dual layer of oversight and enforcement ensures that rodenticides are used safely and properly throughout the state of Connecticut.

•  DEEP already has the regulatory authority to review these products and implement additional mitigations or product restrictions. Engaging in a thorough scientific review is the best way to regulate the use and sale of rodenticides.

• Rodenticides are a critical tool for controlling rodent populations to protect the citizens of Connecticut from the spread of disease and illness. Rodents can transmit more than 35 diseases to human, including the potentially lethal Hantavirus.

• CT licensed and trained applicators use Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) in and around structures to protect public health and property from rodents. These products are only applied in self‐contained rodent bait stations so only target animals are able to enter and retrieve the rodent bait.
• After a string of mild winters in Connecticut, the state mouse population has seen a rapid increase in population. As the rodent population increases so does the threat of other diseases to humans including Salmonella, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis and other threatening diseases.

• These are also environmental justice concerns, where under‐resourced communities with abandoned buildings and the inability to afford secure trash bins can increase the prevalence of rats in a neighborhood. In these lower income areas residents will be disproportionately hit by the rise in pest management costs to combat rodents, disproportionately increasing physical and public health concerns.

We believe that when rodenticides are applied according to their label instructions, they serve an important role in protecting the citizens of Connecticut from both disease and property damage. We believe that CT DEEP and US EPA have the authority and the scientific expertise to restrict these products if they pose harm to wildlife, the environment or to humans and for these reasons respectfully OPPOSE HB 5217.

Our Members are:

Making Connecticut’s spaces and places beautiful, safe and pest-free.

Our Mission:

To improve the quality of life for Connecticut families through leadership, stewardship, sustainability and compliance.