BCF Asks State to Suspend SGAR Registration

The following letter was sent to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources on December 16, 2024.

Dear Members of the Pesticide Board Subcommittee,

The Belmont Citizens Forum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the environmental quality of Belmont and surrounding areas, strongly supports the suspension of the registration and legal use of Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) in Massachusetts.

The Belmont Citizens Forum publishes a bimonthly newsletter that informs residents about local environmental and community issues. Recent editions have featured articles detailing the dangers of SGARs, including their impacts on wildlife, ecosystems, and public health. These articles aim to educate the community on the importance of adopting safer, more sustainable pest control measures and have sparked important conversations among residents and local policymakers.

These chemicals pose severe and unnecessary risks to our wildlife, ecosystems, and public health, and safer alternatives are readily available. SGARs, including brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone, are designed to target rodents but have devastating unintended consequences for nontarget species. Wildlife such as hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, and other predators often consume poisoned rodents, leading to secondary poisoning and death. These effects ripple through our ecosystems, disrupting natural predator-prey dynamics and threatening biodiversity.

Scientific studies and reports from wildlife rehabilitation centers have documented the widespread presence of SGAR residues in the tissues of affected animals, underscoring the pervasive impact of these toxicants. In addition to harming wildlife, SGARs pose risks to domestic pets and, in some cases, children who may inadvertently come into contact with bait stations.

We request that you acknowledge the Harvard Law School Animal Law & Policy Clinic petition and suspend the registration of all SGARs as they fail to meet the Massachusetts Pesticide Control Act’s registration standards because they cause “unreasonable adverse effects to the environment.”

The Belmont Citizens Forum advocates for adopting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and the use of safer alternatives to SGARs, such as non-anticoagulant baits and electric or mechanical traps. These methods effectively control rodent populations while minimizing harm to nontarget species and the environment. Municipalities, businesses, and residents across Massachusetts have successfully implemented such alternatives, demonstrating their feasibility and efficacy.

We commend the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources for considering measures to protect our environment and public health. By suspending the registration of SGARs, Massachusetts can lead the way in promoting responsible pest management practices that align with our shared commitment to sustainability and ecological integrity.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. We urge you to act decisively to protect our wildlife, ecosystems, and communities from the harmful impacts of SGARs. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Belmont Citizens Forum if we can provide additional information or support.