2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XIX - Agriculture and Conservation › Chapter 132b - Massachusetts Pesticide Control Act › Section 2 - Definitions

Section 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, when used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:—
''Active ingredient'', in the case of a pesticide other than a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant, an ingredient which prevents, destroys, repels, or mitigates any pest; in the case of a plant regulator, an ingredient which through physiological action accelerates or retards the rate of growth or rate of maturation or otherwise alters the behavior of ornamental or crop plants or the products thereof; in the case of a defoliant, an ingredient which causes the leaves or foliage to drop from a plant; and, in the case of a desiccant, an ingredient which artificially accelerates the drying of plant tissue.
''Administrator'', the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
''Adulterated'', when used with reference to a pesticide, any pesticide the strength or purity of which falls below the professed standard of purity as expressed on its labeling under which it is sold; a pesticide for which any substance has been substituted wholly or in part; or a pesticide from which any valuable constituent has been wholly or in part abstracted.
''Advisory council'', a council established by regulations adopted by the department for the purposes set forth in section five.
''Agency'', any executive office, department, division, agency, board, branch, bureau or commission of the commonwealth.
''Agricultural commodity'', a plant, or part thereof, or animal or animal product produced by a person primarily for sale, consumption, propagation, or other use by man or animals.
''Animal'', all vertebrate and invertebrate species, including but not limited to man and other mammals, birds, fish and shellfish.
''Anti-microbial pesticide'', a pesticide that is used for the control of microbial pests, including, but not limited to, viruses, bacteria, algae and protozoa, and is intended to disinfect, sanitize, reduce or mitigate growth or development of microbiological organisms. Anti-microbial pesticide shall not include any fungicide or pesticide used on plants, turf or other vegetation or for ornamental uses.
''Certified applicator'', an individual who is certified under the provisions of section ten as authorized to use or supervise the use of any pesticide which is classified by the department as being for restricted use.
''Private applicator'', a certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide which is classified by the department as being for restricted use for purposes of producing any agricultural commodity on property owned or rented by him or his employer or if applied without compensation other than trading of personal services between producers of agricultural commodities on the land of another person.
''Commercial applicator'', a certified applicator, whether or not he is a private applicator with respect to some users, who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide which is classified by the department as being for restricted use for any purpose or on any land other than as provided in the preceding paragraph.
''Licensed applicator'', an individual who is licensed under the provisions of section ten as authorized to be present while pesticides classified by the department as being for restricted use are being applied under the direct supervision of a certified applicator, or to use or to be present to supervise the use or land of another for hire any pesticide classified by the department as being for general use.
''Beneficial insects'', insects which, during their life cycle, are effective pollinators of plants, are parasites or predators of pests, or are otherwise beneficial.
''Board'', the pesticide board, established by section three.
''Commissioner'', the commissioner of food and agriculture.
''Child care center'', any public or private facility operated on a regular basis whether known as a day nursery, nursery school, kindergarten, child play school, progressive school, child development center or preschool, or known under any other name, which receives children not of common parentage who are not more than six years of age, or who are not more than 21 years of age if such children have special needs, for nonresidential custody and care during part or all of the day separate from their parents. Child care center shall not include: any part of a public school system; any part of a private, organized educational system, unless the services of such system are primarily limited to kindergarten, nursery or related preschool services; periodic religious instruction classes conducted by a religious institution; a facility operated by a religious organization where children are cared for during short periods of time while persons responsible for such children are attending religious services; a family child care home; an informal cooperative arrangement among neighbors or relatives; or the occasional care of children with or without compensation.
''Defoliant'', a substance or mixture of substances intended to cause the leaves or foliage to drop from a plant, with or without causing abscission.
''Department'', the department of food and agriculture.
''Desiccant'', a substance or mixture of substances intended to artificially accelerate the drying of plant tissue.
''Device'', an instrument or contrivance, other than a firearm, intended to hold or dispense a pesticide and used in conjunction with a pesticide, the purpose of which is to trap, destroy, repel, or mitigate any pest or any other form of plant or animal life, other than man and other than bacteria, virus, or other micro-organism on or in living man or other living animals, but not including equipment used for the application of pesticides when sold separately therefrom.
''Director'', the pesticides program director established by section four.
''Distribution'' or ''Distribute'', to offer for sale, hold for sale, sell, barter, ship, deliver for shipment, or receive.
''Environment'', includes water, air, land, and all plants and man and other living animals therein, and the interrelationships which exist among these.
''Federally registered pesticide'', a pesticide which is registered pursuant to FIFRA.
''FIFRA'', the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, Public Law 92–516, as amended.
''Fungi'' or ''Fungus'', non-chlorophyll-bearing thallophytes of a lower order than mosses and liver-worts, as, for example, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, yeasts, and bacteria, except those on or in living man or other living animals, and except those in or on processed food, beverages, or pharmaceuticals.
''Imminent hazard'', a situation in which the continued use of a pesticide would result in unreasonable adverse effects on the environment.
''Inert ingredient'', an ingredient which is not active.
''Insect'', a small invertebrate animal generally having the body more or less obviously segmented, for the most part belonging to the class insecta, comprising six-legged, usually winged forms, as for example, moths, beetles, bugs, bees, flies, and their immature stages, and to other allied classes of anthropods whose members are wingless and usually have more than six legs, as for example, spiders, mites, ticks, millipedes, and wood lice.
''Integrated pest management'', a comprehensive strategy of pest control whose major objective is to achieve desired levels of pest control in an environmentally responsible manner by combining multiple pest control measures to reduce the need for reliance on chemical pesticides; more specifically, a combination of pest controls which addresses conditions that support pests and may include, but is not limited to, the use of monitoring techniques to determine immediate and ongoing need for pest control, increased sanitation, physical barrier methods, the use of natural pest enemies and a judicious use of lowest risk pesticides when necessary.
''Label'', the written, printed, or graphic matter, on or attached to, the pesticide or device or any of its containers or wrappers.
''Labeling'', all labels and all other written, printed or graphic matter accompanying the pesticide or device at any time, or to which reference is made on the label or in literature accompanying the pesticide or device, but shall not include publications of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Agriculture, or Interior, or Health, Education and Welfare, state experiment stations, state agricultural colleges, and other similar federal or state institutions or agencies authorized by law to conduct research or disseminate information in the field of pesticides, except as otherwise provided by regulation of the department.
''Land'', land and water areas, including airspace, and structures, buildings, contrivances, and machinery appurtenant thereto or situated thereon, fixed or mobile.
''Licensed pesticide dealer'', a person who distributes pesticides classified by the department as being for restricted use or pesticides whose uses or distribution are further restricted by regulations adopted by the department, with the approval of the board.
''Misbranded'', (a) in the case of a pesticide or device, if the labeling bears any statement, design, or graphic representation relative thereto or to its ingredients which is false or misleading in any particular; (b) in the case of a pesticide or device, if it is an imitation of, or is offered for sale under the name of, another pesticide or device; (c) in the case of a pesticide or device, if any word, statement, or other information required by or under authority of FIFRA or this chapter to appear on the label or labeling is not prominently placed thereon with such conspicuousness, as compared with other words, statements, designs, or graphic matter in the labeling, and in such terms as to render it likely to be read and understood by the ordinary individual under customary conditions of purchase and use; (d) in the case of a pesticide, if it is contained in a package or other container or wrapping which does not conform to standards established pursuant to FIFRA or this chapter; (e) in the case of a pesticide, if it does not contain a label bearing the registration number assigned under FIFRA to each establishment in which it was produced; (f) in the case of a pesticide, if the labeling accompanying it does not contain directions for use which are necessary for effecting the purpose for which the product is intended and if complied with, together with any requirements imposed under FIFRA or this chapter, is adequate to protect health and the environment; (g) in the case of a pesticide, if its label does not contain a warning or caution statement which may be necessary and if complied with, together with any requirements imposed under FIFRA or this chapter, is adequate to protect health and the environment; (h) in the case of a pesticide, if its label does not bear an ingredient statement on that part of the immediate container, and on the outside container or wrapper of the retail package, if there be one, through which the ingredient statement on the immediate container cannot be clearly read, which is presented or displayed under customary conditions or purchase, except that a pesticide is not misbranded if the administrator has permitted the ingredient statement to be placed on another part of the container pursuant to FIFRA; (i) in the case of a pesticide, if its labeling does not contain a statement of the use classification under which it is registered; (j) in the case of a pesticide, if there is not affixed to its container, and to the outside container or wrapper of the retail package, if there be one, through which the required information on the immediate container cannot be clearly read, a label bearing the name and address of the producer, registrant, or person for whom the pesticide is produced; the name, brand, or trademark under which the pesticide is distributed; the net weight or measure of the content, as required by the administrator; and the registration number assigned to the pesticide by said administrator pursuant to FIFRA; (k) in the case of a pesticide containing any substance or substances in quantities highly toxic to man, unless the label shall bear, in addition to any other matter required by FIFRA or this chapter the skull and crossbones; the word ''POISON'' prominently in red on a background of distinctly contrasting color; and a statement of practical treatment, first aid or otherwise, in case or poisoning by the pesticide; and (l) in the case of a pesticide, if its container does not bear a label, as required by the department pursuant to this chapter.
''Nematode'', invertebrate animals of the phylum nemathelminthes and class nematoda, that is, unsegmented round worms with elongated, fusiform, or sac-like bodies covered with cuticle, and inhabiting soil, water, plants or plant parts. Nematodes may also be referred to as nemas or eel-worms.
''Permitted catch basin applicator'', an employee of the commonwealth or its political subdivisions who is permitted, pursuant to section 10, to use pesticides in the form of dry formulation mosquito larvicides, approved by the department, in storm drains and catch basins; provided, however, that each permitted catch basin applicator shall be supervised by a certified or licensed applicator.
''Person'', an individual, association, partnership, corporation, company, business organization, trust, estate, the commonwealth or its political subdivisions, administrative agencies, public or quasi-public corporation or body, or any other legal entity or its legal representative, agent or assign, or a group of persons.
''Pest'', an insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed, or any other form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life or virus, bacterium, or other micro-organism, except viruses, bacteria or other micro-organisms on or in living man or other living animal, which is declared to be a pest by the administrator or by the department with the approval of the board.
''Pesticide'', a substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest, and any substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant; provided that the term ''Pesticide'' shall not include any article that is a ''new animal drug'' within the meaning of section 201 (w) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. s 321 (w), or that has been determined by the Secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare not to be a new animal drug by a regulation establishing conditions of use for the article, or that is an animal feed within the meaning of section 201 (x) of such act (21 U.S.C. s 321 (x)).
''Plant regulator'', a substance or mixture of substances intended, through physiological action, to accelerate or retard the rate of growth or rate of maturation, or to otherwise alter the behavior of plants or the produce thereof, but shall not include substances to the extent that they are intended as plant nutrients, trace elements, nutritional chemicals, plant inoculants, and soil amendments. Also, the term ''plant regulator'' shall not include any nutrient mixtures or soil amendments commonly known as vitamin-hormone horticultural products, intended for improvement, maintenance, survival, health, and propagation of plants, and as are not for pest destruction and are nontoxic, nonpoisonous in the undiluted package concentration.
''Produce'', to manufacture, prepare, compound, propagate, process or repackage any pesticide or device.
''Producer'', a person who manufactures, prepares, compounds, propagates, processes or repackages any pesticide or device.
''Protect health and the environment'' or ''protection of health and environment'', protection against any unreasonable adverse effects on the environment.
''Registrant'', a person who has registered any pesticide pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
''School'', any public or private school for preschool, elementary, middle or high school students.
''School administration'', a school committee, private school board of directors, or other body of school supervisory officers.
''School age child care program'', any public or private program or facility operated on a regular basis which provides supervised group care for children not of common parentage who are enrolled in kindergarten and are of sufficient age to enter first grade the following year, or an older child who is not more than 14 years of age, or not more than 21 years of age if such child has special needs. Such a program may operate before and after school and may also operate during school vacation and holidays. A school age child care program shall not include: any part of a public school system; any part of a private, organized educational system, unless the services of such system are primarily limited to a school age day care program; periodic religious instruction classes conducted by a religious institution; a facility operated by a religious organization where children are cared for during short periods of time while persons responsible for such children are attending religious services; a family day care home; an informal cooperative arrangement among neighbors or relatives; or the occasional care of children with or without compensation.
''Standard written notification'', includes the following information: the approximate dates on which the spraying, release, deposit or application of a pesticide shall commence and conclude; the specific location of the anticipated application; the product name and type of each pesticide to be used; a department-approved fact sheet and United States Environmental Protection Agency registration number for each pesticide; a description of the purpose of the pesticide application; and a department-approved statement describing ways to minimize exposure, and precautions to be taken, especially for sensitive individuals such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with health problems.
''Under the direct supervision of a certified applicator'', unless otherwise prescribed by its labeling, a pesticide shall be considered to be applied under the direct supervision of a certified applicator if it is applied by a competent person acting under the instructions and control of a certified applicator who is available if and when needed, and who is responsible for the pesticide applications made by that person, even though such certified applicator is not physically present at the time and place the pesticide is applied.
''Unreasonable adverse effects on the environment'', an unreasonable risk to man or the environment, taking into account the economic, social and environmental cost and benefits of the use of any pesticide.
''Weed'', a plant which grows where not wanted.
''Wildlife'', vertebrate animals, excluding man, that are wild by nature, including fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.