Industry and agriculture agency offer competing evidence as legislature weighs rodenticide limits

Tyler Hawkins, representing the New England Pest Management Association, and David Huber, deputy director of the public health and agricultural resource management division at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, testified before the committee about H 326 and related restrictions on rodenticides.

Hawkins testified in opposition to a full ban on anticoagulant rodenticides in H 326. He said pest management professionals rely on integrated pest management (IPM) — exclusion, sanitation, mechanical trapping and, when necessary, rodenticide baits placed in tamper‑resistant stations — to protect public health in homes, schools, hospitals and food facilities. "Rodents can transmit more than 35 diseases, including hantavirus and plague," Hawkins said, and he warned that restricting rodenticide access could hamper control of infestations. He described rodenticides as a rarely used but necessary tool and said licensed applicators generally place baits inside locked, tamper‑resistant stations to reduce non‑target exposures.

Several members asked about secondary poisoning — predators or scavengers consuming poisoned rodents — and whether exceptions should be written for high‑risk facilities such as hospitals, schools and food processors. Hawkins said technicians can search for carcasses and remove them to reduce secondary exposures and suggested narrowly tailored exceptions for sensitive sites.

David Huber described actions the Agency of Agriculture has taken and recommended more time to assess recent statutory changes and ongoing federal reviews. The agency led an outreach campaign in 2023 asking retailers who sell rodenticides to display a safety flyer explaining that outdoor use requires tamper‑resistant bait stations, and it enforces dealer and applicator licensing laws. Huber summarized enforcement since S 301 took effect: in 02/2024 the agency issued seven letters of warning; after S 301 (which reclassified some second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides as restricted class A products) became effective 07/01/2024, the agency recorded one notice of violation with an $8,000 penalty at a food manufacturing site and four letters of warning in 02/2025.

Huber also described licensing and distribution rules: sellers of restricted products must hold a dealer license at each brick‑and‑mortar location and, for class A/B sales, the store must have a staff member who passes an in‑person exam and works a minimum number of hours at the location. The agency reported 89 licensed pest management companies in Vermont and 284 active certified applicators. Huber said the agency is participating in a New England review (contracted to ERG by Massachusetts) to assess health and environmental impacts of anticoagulants and their alternatives and is coordinating with Fish & Wildlife to expand wildlife tissue testing.

Committee members pressed for sales and usage data, differences between first‑generation and second‑generation anticoagulants, and how cross‑border purchases affect compliance. Huber said some products can still be bought outside Vermont but possession in Vermont may constitute a violation. He recommended using the time since S 301 took effect and the upcoming regional ERG study to collect more data before taking broader bans at the state level.

Ending

The committee heard competing perspectives: industry representatives urged retaining licensed applicator access and narrow exceptions for sensitive sites; the agriculture agency urged continued monitoring of S 301, expanded testing and regional scientific review before pursuing a full ban in H 326. No formal committee action on H 326 was recorded in the transcript.