A.473-A (Brodsky)

STAFF CONTACT :

518.465.7517

BILL

A.473-A (Brodsky)

SUBJECT

Pesticide Sales Reporting

DATE

Oppose

The Business Council opposes this legislation that would require retail stores to maintain records and submit reports on their sale of "general use pesticides."

This bill would impose a significant record-keeping burden on retail stores. Even though this bill only requires the maintenance and submission of data on pesticide products for which the store had more than $1,000 in aggregate sales, the retailer will have to maintain records on all pesticide sales in order to determine which products exceed that threshold. In addition to tracking total sales, this bill would also require the retailer to maintain records on the actual volume of each products sold.

Under state law, the term "general use pesticides" includes an extremely wide range of consumer products. In addition to products such as insecticides and lawn care products - which most people think of as pesticides - the state's registration program includes disinfectants, cleaning products, soaps and detergents, paints and stains, veterinarian and pet products, air fresheners, pool chemicals and others. Overall, more than 10,000 specific compounds and products are registered as pesticides with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The vast majority are general use pesticides that would be covered by the new record-keeping and recording provisions of this bill.

New York State law already imposes significant record-keeping and reporting requirements on the in-state manufacture, importation and use of restricted use pesticides. These restricted use products are more highly regulated by the state due to their potential impacts on public health and the environment.

The Business Council sees this bill as accomplishing little in the way of protecting public health and the environment. It will produce a number related to total product sales, but that data will be of no use in environmental impact or public health studies.

On the other hand, it would impose significant new accounting burdens on the state's retail sector, and contributed to higher costs for a wide range of consumer products.

For these reasons, The Business Council recommends against approval of A.473-A.