NYS Seal

ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON HEALTH

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

SUBJECT:
Pesticide Sales and Use Reporting

PURPOSE:
To examine ways to improve the effectiveness of the State's laws regarding pesticide sales and use reporting, including increased public access to pesticide data.

NEW DATE
New York City
Assembly Hearing Room
250 Broadway, Room 1923, 19th Floor
Manhattan
Thursday
June 5, 2014
11:00 a.m.

Chapter 279 of the Laws of 1996 established State pesticide sales and use recordkeeping and reporting requirements and created the Health Research Science Board that has a variety of pesticide-related responsibilities, including reviewing requests for access to location-specific pesticide information. Chapter 279 also required the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to prepare an annual report summarizing pesticide sales and use.

There have been various criticisms of pesticide sales and use reporting including: the absence of a pesticide reporting law annual report since 2005; difficulties of researchers in accessing location-specific pesticide information; and inaccurate data reporting. The proposed 2014-15 State Budget included significant revisions to pesticide sales and use reporting requirements, but the enacted State Budget did not contain any reporting revisions. The purpose of this hearing is to examine ways to improve the effectiveness of the State's existing pesticide reporting laws, including the public availability of pesticide data and the role of the Health Research Science Board.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at the above hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be limited to ten minutes' duration. In preparing the order of witnesses, the Committee will attempt to accommodate individual requests to speak at particular times in view of special circumstances. These requests should be made on the attached reply form or communicated to Committee staff as early as possible. Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

Robert K. Sweeney
Member of Assembly
Chair
Committee on Environmental Conservation
Richard N. Gottfried
Member of Assembly
Chair
Committee on Health



PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Pesticide Sales and Use Reporting are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail, email or fax it to:

Andrew Matott
Committee Assistant
Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation
Room 520 - Capitol
Albany, New York 12248
Email: matotta@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4363
Fax: (518) 455-5182
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I plan to attend the following public hearing on Pesticide Sales and Use Reporting to be conducted by the Assembly Committees on Environmental Conservation and Health on June 5, 2014.
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I plan to make a public statement at the hearing. My statement will be limited to ten minutes, and I will answer any questions which may arise. I will provide 10 copies of my prepared statement.
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I will address my remarks to the following subjects:




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I do not plan to attend the above hearing.
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I would like to be added to the Committee's mailing list for notices and reports.
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I would like to be removed from the Committee's mailing list.
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I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required:




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