Businesses that typically import pesticides and pesticide devices are farms, hotels and resorts, golf courses and pest control establishments.
Division of Environmental Quality pesticide and storage tank division manager Reina Camacho in a recent presentation said that any business establishment who is planning to import any substance or mixture that is intended to destroy pests must follow certain CNMI regulations for their own safety.
“You cannot just import pesticides whenever you want to. There are regulations to be followed and penalties for those who don’t follow the rules,” Camacho said.
Importation procedures
Before businesses can import any pesticide, they must submit a Notice of Intent to Import Pesticides and Pesticide Devices to the DEQ for approval at least 10 days before the shipment arrive. A filing fee of $15 per pesticide of general use every shipment and $50.00 per pesticide of restricted use per shipment is required with the notice of intent.
Pesticides of general use are those that do not cause adverse health effects when used as directed in the label and can be used by anyone. Restricted use pesticides are those that may present risk to the environment and to the user. The supervision of certified applicators is required.
When the intent is approved, the importer can then order the pesticide and pesticide devices that they need but it does not end there. When the pesticide shipment arrives, the importer must inform the DEQ by submitting a Notice of Arrival form. Otherwise, Camacho said that the shipment may be detained, confiscated, exported to the country where it came from. Or the DEQ would dispose of it at the expense of the importer.
An importer has 90 days to export all illegal pesticides at his expense if he cannot present the requirements.
Upon arrival of the pesticides and pesticide devices, the DEQ will conduct and inspection to compare if the actual products are the same as indicated in the Notice of Intent. If there are discrepancies, the shipment may be detained.
Camacho said the regulation must be followed so that only properly labeled products can be imported into the CNMI, and to prevent the importation of pesticides and pesticide devices that are “misbranded,” or what is popularly known as “illegal.”
In addition, she said the Pesticides Regulations were established to prevent environmental contamination and protect public health.
The Pesticide Regulations under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection Act states that importing pesticides and pesticide devices into the CNMI without approval from the DEQ is subject to a fine of up to $50,000 without a Notice of Arrival form.
Pesticide products in the household
DEQ said that chlorine products are also considered pesticides. Chlorine, the popular disinfectant and purifier has a hundred other uses not only in businesses but in hospitals, households and other establishments, too.
Other products that are considered as pesticides are cockroach sprays and baits, insect repellants, rat and other rodent poisons, flea and tick sprays, powders, and pet collars, kitchen, laundry, and bath disinfectants and sanitizers, mold and mildew products, lawn and garden products, such as weed killers, and swimming pool chlorine products.
Camacho said that the same procedure in the importation of pesticides must be followed in importing these pesticides.
She said the CNMI Customs and Quarantine officers have intercepted pesticides and pesticide devices in liquid, solid, and water soluble forms.
Camacho said locating and maintaining contact with pesticide importers has always been a challenge for the DEQ.
For more information on pesticide importation and rates, contact the DEQ pesticide program at 664-8500, 664-8522 or e-mail [email protected].
Identifying ‘misbranded’ pesticides
A pesticide or pesticide device is classified as “misbranded” if the labels do not contain the following information in English:
• Name of the pesticide in bold letters
• Description of which pests are controlled
• Chemical name of the pesticide
• Active ingredients and percentages
• Inert ingredients
• EPA registration number
• Patent numbers
• Appropriate signal words such as caution, warning, danger or poison.
• Directions of proper use.
