Residents

Mt. Lebanon Public Works Department Pesticide Use: An Overview

Pesticides control, kill, or mitigate pest organisms. They include, but are not limited to, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and rodenticides. Trained and licensed applicators apply control in accordance with safe practices established by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Mt. Lebanon uses only the safest and most current control products and applies them according to the manufacturer’s label and federal law. When a decision to use a produce is made, we follow Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocol, a process for achieving long-term environmentally sound pest control. We apply pesticides only after an unacceptable threshold of damage is reached. Chemical control is only one tool we use to reach an acceptable threshold; as part of our effective IPM program, we also use a combination of mechanical, physical and cultural controls.

State Law requires all registered applicators to provide notice to anyone who has been verified by as doctor as hypersensitive and is listed on the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Hypersensitivity List. People on this list may request to have their home, place of employment, school (if a student) and vacation home placed on the registry. The registry is distributed quarterly to all commercial and public pesticide businesses. The business that is applying the pesticide must notify anyone listed on the most recent registry in advance, if they will be applying a pesticide to a structure attached to a listed location or are applying a pesticides above-ground within 500 feet of a listed location. The business may provide notification by speaking to an adult in person, by telephone, via a message left on an answering device, by certified mail, by posting a notice on the front door of the listed location or by speaking to an adult at the alternate phone number listed in the registry. The notification must include the following information: business name, address, telephone number, the pesticide brand name and common name (if available), EPA registration number of the pesticide, the location of the application and the proposed date and time of the application. The proposed application time may not exceed 24 hours.

Here are examples of how Mt. Lebanon might use pesticides:

• Insect control in municipal facilities—Typically applied by a third party through a maintenance agreement
• EAB Treatment—A public works department program that protects and preserves municipal ash trees along the streets and in certain parks
• Wasp Control—Wasp nests are treated and removed from municipal street trees and parks to protect the public.
• Grass and Weed Control—Non-selective (contact or systemic) herbicides are periodically applied to remove unwanted vegetation in areas that are difficult to control mechanically
• Root Control in Sanitary Sewers—Products contractually applied to remove roots from sewers that are chronically blocks by those roots.
• Invasive Species Control—Contractual application of herbicides to remove invasive species from passive parks
• Ant Control—Products applied to treat ant populations in municipal trees, preserving the trees and eliminating potential spread to private property
• Rodent Control—Products occasionally applied to sanitary sewers to control populations of rats
• Mosquito Control—Products applied to stagnant water to reduce the threat of West Nile and other viruses spread by mosquitoes that breed there.
• Weed and Insect Control at Golf Course—Professional products used to control weeds, insects and diseases while managing a high profile sports turf area
• Sanitary Measures at Municipal Pool— Chlorine and other product use to provide a sanitary and safe environment for public use of the swim center

Most control products Mt. Lebanon uses contain the same active ingredients that any homeowner can purchase from most hardware stores and garden centers. An example would be the non-selective herbicide known by the trade name of Round Up, which contains glyphosate as the active ingredient. This product is used by homeowners to control grass and weeds in landscape beds, concrete joints and other similar areas.

Pesticide Hypersensitivity

General Information

The Pesticide Hypersensitivity Registry consists of a list of individuals who have been verified by a physician to have medical problems associated with exposure to pesticides. These individuals must be notified before you apply general or restricted use pesticides within 500 feet of their listed locations. Additional information concerning the registry can be obtained by contacting the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Division of Health & Safety at (717) 772-5231 or by fax at (717) 783-3275.

Notification Requirements

Notification is required when making pesticide applications within 500 feet of listings in the current registry.

Timing of the notification requirements:

At least 12 hours, but not more than 72 hours prior to the application. (Regardless of the type of notification used.)

Notification is made when the required information is:

Provided to an adult at one of the three listed phone numbers.
Left as a message on an answering machine at the “day or night” number listed.
Left on a door hanger at the Registry listing, following at least 2 unsuccessful phone attempts.
Sent by certified mail.
Provided by personal contact.

Notification shall consist of providing all of the following information to the individuals on the registry:

Date (of application)
Location (application site)
Earliest possible start time and latest possible finish time of application. The range between start and finish times may be no greater than 24 hours.
Brand name(s)
EPA Registration Number(s)
Active ingredient common name(s) (if on the label) for all of the pesticide products which may be used.
Business contact information:
Name
Telephone number
Business license number (BU- – – -)
A copy of the label for every pesticide used provided within 10 days of a request from an individual listed in the Registry.

Record retention:

Keep records of notifications for 3 years.

Exceptions – the following types of application do not require notification:

An application of a pesticide within a single family residential detached structure.
An application of a pesticide directly below the soil surface.
An application of a pesticide in a tamper-resistant bait station.
An application of a pesticide to a tree by means of injection. Prior notification requirements contained in § 128.83 (relating to ornamental or turf application) remain applicable.
An application of a disinfectant or sanitizer.

Complaints

Most problems can be directed to the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Office at (610) 489-1003.
Main call-in number (717) 772-5231
Extension 2 for Licensing
Extension 3 for Enforcement / Pesticide Complaint
Extension 4 for Product Registration