Lowell council bans second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides on city property

The Lowell City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to prohibit the use of second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides on city‑owned property and to require integrated pest‑management practices and limited emergency waivers.

The ordinance, which amends chapter 104 of the city code by adding Article 4 on rodents, passed on a roll call vote of 11–0 after about an hour of public comment from wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians, conservation groups and residents.

Supporters told the council that SGARs — commonly found in bait boxes outside buildings — cause lethal secondary poisoning in predators and scavengers. "I won't even get into what it's like to watch an animal die from this. It's awful," said Jane Newhouse of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue, who described treating foxes and other wildlife for anticoagulant poisoning and the long, expensive course of vitamin K therapy the animals require.

Architect Andrew Kolar urged the council to adopt an integrated pest management, or IPM, approach that prioritizes prevention and exclusion before chemical controls. "Integrated pest management is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common‑sense practices with the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment," Kolar said.

Speakers including representatives of the MSPCA/Angel Animal Medical Center, Mass Audubon and the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust submitted letters or testimony urging the ban, citing case reports and studies of rodenticide residues in raptors and other predators. Emily Toronto, speaking as a member of Lowell Loves Wildlife, read a statement from Crystal Arnott, executive director of the Lowell Humane Society, that urged the council to protect local wildlife including a pair of bald eagles on the Merrimack River.

City officials and councilors who supported the measure said municipal properties are an appropriate place to lead by example and to require IPM as the preferred approach. The ordinance includes a path for emergency waivers where short‑term chemical controls might be needed and calls for the city to adopt IPM plans for affected sites.

Mayor Roark called the vote after brief council discussion. The roll call returned 11 yes, 0 no.

The ordinance will restrict SGAR use on city buildings, parks, grounds, open space and public rights‑of‑way; it does not ban private use on private property. Councilors and speakers urged public education and outreach so that residents and private property owners understand nonchemical alternatives and steps to reduce attractants and access points.

Council members who sponsored and moved the ordinance framed it as part of Lowell's broader conservation and public‑health work. The city manager's office and the health department will implement the ordinance on city property and will begin outreach to other municipal departments and external partners.

Supporters said passage places Lowell among a growing number of Massachusetts municipalities restricting or banning SGARs on municipal land.

The council's action concluded the public hearing portion of the meeting; the ordinance now stands as an adopted change to the city's code of ordinances.