Section 22a-66a - Notification of the application of pesticides. Registry. Regulations. Penalty(a) A pesticide application business, prior to entering into a written or oral agreement to apply a pesticide, shall provide to the person requesting the application and the resident or manager of the property to be treated (1) notification of the registry established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section and (2) a copy of that portion of the pesticide label, as defined in section 22a-47, which states the product name and registration number, the manufacturer, the active ingredients, the signal word, an emergency phone number, if listed, and any precautionary statements, including statements on environmental hazards, human and animal hazards, emergency treatment and reentry. Thereafter, the pesticide application business shall provide to such persons a copy of those portions of the label that state such information for any other pesticide to be applied prior to the initial application of such other pesticide. The provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection shall not apply to any outdoor application of a pesticide made by a pesticide application business to maintain rights-of-way, facilities or equipment for an electric public service company, provided such application is consistent with a pesticide management plan approved in accordance with section 22a-66k.(b) On or after the adoption of regulations pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, a pesticide application business, prior to applying a pesticide within one hundred yards of any property line, shall provide notice of the time and date of the application to any owner or tenant who abuts the property to be treated and who requests notification. Notification may be requested by submitting a form prescribed by the commissioner to the pesticide application business or the commissioner. The form shall include the name, address and telephone number of the person requesting notification and the best time for notification and the name, address and telephone number, if listed in the directory, of any person whose property abuts the property of the person requesting notification. Each pesticide application business shall submit requests for notification to the commissioner who shall maintain a registry of persons requesting notification. A pesticide application business shall make not less than two attempts to notify any owner or tenant who requests notification. Such attempts shall be made as early as practicable but not later than twenty-four hours before the application. Notice may be by any method, including telephone, mail or personal notification. If attempts at notification by the applicator fail, an emergency application is necessary or best management practices of integrated pest management, as defined in section 22-11a, recommend an immediate pesticide application to reduce the amount of pesticides that would otherwise be necessary, the pesticide application business shall attempt to notify the owner or tenant in person immediately prior to the application. Notice of the application and attempts at notification shall be placed on the door of the person requesting notification if all notification attempts fail. Any person who provides notice of an aircraft application of a pesticide pursuant to regulations adopted under section 22a-66 shall not be required to provide notice under this subsection.(c) On or after the adoption of regulations pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, any person making an outdoor application of a pesticide within one hundred yards of any property line shall at the time of application post a sign notifying the public of the application at any conspicuous point of entry. A commercial pesticide applicator making an application shall post a sign every one hundred fifty feet of road frontage of treated property notifying the public of such application. Any sign posted pursuant to this subsection shall comply with the requirements adopted pursuant to subsection (g) of this section. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to (1) noncommercial applications to an area less than one hundred square feet or to a fenced area, or (2) applications on land that produces agricultural commodities from which gross sales in excess of one thousand dollars were realized or can reasonably be expected to be realized during any calendar year.(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, any person making an outdoor application of a restricted use pesticide on land which produces agricultural commodities shall post a sign notifying the public of such application (1) at each conspicuous point of entry and (2) at every one hundred fifty feet of road frontage of treated property if the application is within one hundred yards of any public road. If the application is more than twenty-five feet from a public road, such person shall be exempt from the requirements of subdivision (2) of this subsection for up to five hundred square feet of an application. Any sign posted pursuant to this subsection may be posted on a seasonal basis from the date of first application until the reentry period established under FIFRA, as amended from time to time, has lapsed for the last pesticide used or may be placed on an application-specific basis from the date of application until the reentry period established under FIFRA has lapsed for such application. Any such sign shall be maintained by the person making application in a readable manner provided such person shall not be responsible for acts of vandalism to such sign. Any sign posted pursuant to this subsection shall be not less than eight and one-half inches by eleven inches in size and shall be in form substantially as follows: ATTENTION RESTRICTED USE PESTICIDES ARE IN USEPLEASE AVOID THIS AREA
The use of these products is in compliance with state and federal law. This notice is required by section 22a-66a of the general statutes.
The word "attention" shall be in letters at least one and one-half inches high, the words "restricted use pesticides are in use, please avoid this area" shall be in letters at least three-fourths of an inch high and any other wording on the sign shall be one-quarter of an inch or smaller.
(e) On or after the adoption of regulations pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, a pesticide application business or any other person authorized to apply a pesticide, prior to applying a pesticide on a golf course, shall post a sign at the clubhouse and at the first tee notifying the public of the application. Such sign shall comply with regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection pursuant to said subsection (g).(f) On or after the adoption of regulations pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, any wholesaler or distributor selling pesticides to retail establishments shall make available to the owners of such retail establishments signs for notification of a pesticide application. Such owner shall provide a sign to any purchaser of a pesticide requiring the posting of a sign pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and shall display, at the point of sale, notice of the requirements for signs pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.(g) On or before October 1, 1989, the commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, establishing (1) specifications for signs required pursuant to subsections (c) and (e) of this section and provisions for posting of signs in retail establishments, and (2) procedures for compilation and maintenance of the registry required pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.(h)(1) Any pesticide application business or department, agency or institution of the state or municipality prior to making a pesticide application in any lake or pond with any public access owned by the state or municipality shall cause to be published notice of the application in a newspaper of general circulation in each municipality in which the lake or pond is located and shall post a sign notifying the public of the application at each place of public access. Such sign shall comply with regulations adopted by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (g) of this section.(2) Any pesticide application business prior to making a pesticide application on any private lake or pond with more than one owner of shoreline property shall provide notice of the date of the application to any owner or tenant of such shoreline property that abuts the lake or pond to be treated. In determining whether a property abuts a lake or pond, any setback shall not be considered, provided the owner of such setback shall additionally be provided with any such notice. A pesticide application business shall make not less than two attempts to notify any such owner or tenant, provided the second such attempt shall occur twenty-four hours or more after the first attempt. Such attempts shall be made as early as practicable but not less than twenty-four hours before the application. Notice shall be made by telephone, mail, personal notification or by leaving a conspicuous notice on an entry door of the home located on such abutting property. If attempts at notification by the applicator fail, an emergency application is necessary or best management practices of integrated pest management, as defined in section 22-11a, recommend an immediate pesticide application to reduce the amount of pesticides that would otherwise be necessary, the applicator shall attempt to notify each such owner or tenant in person immediately prior to the application. Any person who provides notice of an aircraft application of a pesticide pursuant to regulations adopted under section 22a-66 shall not be required to provide notice under this subdivision.(3) The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall provide any public official who makes inquiry concerning any application scheduled or made pursuant to this section with any and all information known to the department concerning such scheduled or made application.(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, neither the state nor any municipality nor any pesticide application business or public service company shall be required to provide notice of any pesticide application made to rights-of-way, distribution lines and roadsides, including guardrails, except that an electric public service company shall be required to comply with regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (b) of section 22a-66k concerning the on-site posting of a notice of pesticide application.(j)(1) Any railroad company that makes any pesticide application to any rights-of-way shall, not later than twenty-one days prior to such pesticide application, provide notice of such pesticide application to the Department of Transportation and the chief elected official or board of selectmen of each municipality in which such application will be made. Not later than February first of each year, each railroad company that makes any pesticide application to any rights-of-way shall file a vegetation management plan with the Department of Transportation and each municipality in which such pesticide application will be made that identifies target vegetation and management methods for the forthcoming calendar year. Not later than thirty days after receipt of any such vegetation management plan each such municipality shall post such vegetation management plan on such municipality's Internet web site, if such web site is available.(2) Any vegetation management plan submitted on or after February 1, 2025, pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall identify the: (B) intended methods of vegetation management, (C) equipment proposed for use in such vegetation management, (D) timing of any such herbicide applications, (E) alternative control procedures to be utilized, if any, (F) qualifications of individuals developing and submitting an integrated pest management plan to the Department of Transportation and the chief elected official or board of selectmen of such municipality, as applicable, concomitantly with the submission of a vegetation management plan pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, and (G) contents of such integrated pest management plan that indicates how such plan will minimize the amount and frequency of herbicide application.(3) Any railroad company that makes any pesticide application, as described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, shall develop a yearly operational plan that consists of: (A) Maps that locate the railroad's rights-of-way and sensitive areas that are not readily identifiable in the field, (B) herbicides proposed to be used during such year and the Environmental Protection Agency registration numbers for such herbicides, the anticipated application rates, carriers and adjuvants, (C) the herbicide application techniques and alternative control procedures proposed, (D) the name, address and phone number of the company that will perform any such herbicide treatment, (E) identification of target vegetation, (F) description of methods used to designate sensitive areas in the rights-of-way, and (G) all applicable herbicide fact sheets. Each railroad company shall provide for a forty-five-day public comment period when developing a yearly operational plan and shall submit such yearly operational plan concomitantly with the vegetation management plan and integrated pest management plan described in this subsection.(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of any vegetation management plan, integrated pest management plan or yearly operation plan submitted pursuant to this subsection, no railroad company or agent of any such railroad company within any rights-of-way shall: (A) Apply any pesticide at an exceedance of the minimum labeled rate appropriate for the site, pest and application, (B) apply herbicides when, due to the wind velocity, there is a likelihood of drift off target or if there is measurable precipitation, (C) apply herbicides that have been identified as a potential groundwater contaminant by either the Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, (D) engage in a foliar application of a herbicide if such vegetation is greater than twelve feet in height, except for side trimming, (E) for any area determined by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to be a sensitive area: (i) Mix a herbicide within one hundred feet of such sensitive area, (ii) fail to make readily visible the perimeter of such sensitive area prior to application of any herbicide, or (iii) fail to use a low pressure method on foliar, basal or cut-stump applications when mechanical control in sensitive areas is not possible, (F) in water supply areas: (i) Apply any herbicide within one hundred feet of a Class A public surface water source, (ii) apply any herbicide within one hundred feet of any tributary or associated surface water body located within the Zone A of a Class A public surface water source, or within ten feet of any tributary or associated surface water body located outside of the Zone A of the Class A public surface water source, (iii) apply herbicides within a lateral distance of one hundred feet for a span of four hundred feet upstream of any Class B drinking water intake, (iv) apply any herbicide within a distance of between one hundred feet from any Class A surface water source and the outer boundary of any Zone A, (v) apply any herbicide within a distance of between ten feet and the outer boundary of any Zone A for any tributary or associated surface water body located outside of the Zone A of a Class A surface water source, or (vi) apply any herbicide within a lateral distance of between one hundred and two hundred feet for a span of four hundred feet upstream of a Class B drinking water intake, unless a minimum of twenty-four months has elapsed since the last application to the site and herbicides are applied selectively by low pressure using foliar techniques or basal or cut-stump applications,(G) apply any herbicide within a distance of fifty feet of any private well,(H) apply any herbicide within a distance of between fifty feet and one hundred feet of any private well, unless a minimum of twenty-four months has elapsed since the last application to the site and such herbicides are applied selectively by low pressure, using foliar techniques or basal or cut-stump applications,(I) apply herbicides within ten feet of any wetland, the mean annual high-water line of any river or any vernal pool,(J) apply any herbicide between ten feet and one hundred feet of any wetland, within ten feet from the mean annual high-water line of any river and the outer boundary of any riverfront area or within a distance of ten feet from any certified vernal pool and the outer boundary of any certified vernal pool habitat, or(K) apply any foliar herbicide within one hundred feet of an inhabited area or agricultural area unless a minimum of twelve months has elapsed since the last site application and such herbicide is applied selectively by low pressure, using foliar techniques or basal or cut-stump applications. The Commissioners of Transportation and Energy and Environmental Protection may enforce the provisions of this subdivision within available resources.(k) The Commissioner of Public Health, prior to spraying a seasonal larvicide for mosquito control, shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of the spraying notice of such spraying. The Commissioner of Public Health or any municipal or district health department, prior to adulticide spraying for mosquito control, shall post a sign in the area of such spraying notifying the public of the spraying.(l) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 22a-63, any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than ninety dollars.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-66a
(P.A. 86-100; P.A. 87-261, S. 3; 87-298, S. 1; P.A. 88-247, S. 1; 88-364, S. 120, 123; P.A. 90-294, S. 1, 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-11 , S. 46 , 70 ; P.A. 93-381 , S. 9 , 39 ; P.A. 95-257 , S. 12 , 21 , 58 ; P.A. 07-217 , S. 107 , 108 ; P.A. 11-80 , S. 1 ; P.A. 17-230 , S. 12 .)
Amended by P.A. 24-0009,S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2024.Amended by P.A. 22-0083, S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2022 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2022.Amended by P.A. 17-0230, S. 12 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2017 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2017.