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City of Northampton, MA
Hampshire County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (1) Index
[Adopted 12-19-2019 by Ord. No. 19.167]
A. 
Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BROADCAST APPLICATION
The spreading of pesticides over an entire area or substantial part of an area.
CHEMICAL FERTILIZER
Any inorganic material of wholly or partially synthetic origin that is added to soil to sustain plant growth.
EMERGENCY SITUATION
A serious and unanticipated situation that threatens the public health or is likely to result in significant damage to property or the environment and that requires immediate action and for which no organic pest management alternative is expeditiously available.
ISOLATED SPOT APPLICATION
A nonbroadcast generally nonrecurring application of pesticides targeting a specific pest in a specific location.
ORGANIC PEST MANAGEMENT (OPM)
The act of managing or controlling pests through the use of mechanical, biological processes, or through the use of natural, organic, or nonsynthetic substances.
PESTICIDES
Any spray adjuvant, substance, or mixture of synthetic chemical substances which is intended to be used for defoliating plants, regulating plant growth, or for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest which may infest or be detrimental to vegetation, humans, animals, or households, including fungicides, herbicides, rodenticides, insecticides, acaracides, nematicides, larvicides, defoliants, and plant growth regulators. This includes any fertilizer mixture that includes pesticides within it.
PESTS
Any agent (animal, plant, insect, organism, or microorganism) targeted for elimination or control by a pesticide.
B. 
Organic pest management. Except as provided in Subsection C, over a period of three years from the date of ratification of this section, the turf and landscape management of parks, playing fields, and playgrounds owned by the City of Northampton will be transitioned to an organic pest management system. Three years from the date of the ratification of this section, the use of pesticides on parks, playing fields, and playgrounds owned by the City of Northampton will be prohibited.
C. 
Exceptions. The prohibition shall not apply:
(1) 
To properties under the jurisdiction of the Northampton Public and Smith Vocational School Districts.
(2) 
In instances where the reconstruction of parks, playing fields, or playgrounds is undertaken, or in instances where the City assumes ownership and/or operational control of a park, playing field, or playground where organic pest management practices were not previously employed. A three-year transition period shall be allowed in such instances and at such facilities.
(3) 
In the presence of insects that may pose an immediate threat to users of the facilities described in this section. The Director of the Department of Public Works shall have the authority to approve the immediate isolated spot application of a pesticide to eliminate the threat.
(4) 
In emergency situations as defined in this section. The Director of the Department of Public Works shall have the authority to approve a one-time broadcast application of pesticides.
D. 
Within two business days after the application of pesticide/s as detailed in Subsection C(3) and C(4) are carried out, the Department of Publics Works shall make a report to the Mayor and the Board of Health documenting the reasons why the application was necessary.