DEC regulates pesticides and handles compliance assistance, public outreach activities, and enforcement of the requirements in the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL).
DEC’s NYSPAD (New York State Pesticide Administration Database) can be used to search and download information regarding several pesticide topics, including:
Please click on the icon below to enter the NYPAD search database.
The legal sale and use of cannabis has not been recognized on a federal level. Hence, there are no pesticide products registered in New York that specifically list cannabis as an application site. However, the Directions for Use of some pesticide labels are broad enough to be deemed allowable on cannabis.
While agricultural production of hemp is allowed on the federal level, there are relatively few products that list hemp as an allowed site.
DEC has prepared guidance, New York State Pesticide Regulations for Agricultural Production of Cannabis and Hemp (PDF), to help the public determine which products are allowed for use on cannabis and/or hemp in New York.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued two Environmental Conservation Law Article 15 permits for the use of the herbicide product ProcellaCOR in Lake George to control the invasive species Eurasian watermilfoil. These permits limit the ProcellaCOR treatment to two areas of the Lake. A total area of 3.6 acres are permitted to be treated in Jelliffe-Knight Bay (PDF) and a total of 4 acres are permitted to be treated in Blairs Bay (PDF). These permits were issued in conjunction with an Adirondack Park Agency freshwater wetland permit and authorized by the DEC’s State Pollution Discharge Elimination System Pesticides General Permit. For more information regarding DEC’s Lake George Article 15 pesticide permits please contact the Bureau of Pesticides Management’s Warrensburg office at 518-623-1200.
Paragraph 12 of Article 33-1301 of the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) and the corresponding regulations in Part 325.42 of Title 6 New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations (6 NYCRR), make it unlawful for state departments, agencies, public benefit corporations or their contractors, to apply products containing the active ingredient glyphosate on state property. However, the law permits the application of glyphosate for the following uses:
Prior to applying glyphosate on state property, the state department, agency, or public benefit corporation must develop a glyphosate use determination documenting that:
Paragraph 12 of Article 33-1301 also requires that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) post on its website the amount and location of glyphosate usage on state property by April 1 st each year.
6 NYCRR Part 325.42 now requires all state departments, agencies, and public benefit corporations that apply glyphosate on state property, or contract with pesticide applicators to apply glyphosate on state property, to report the following to DEC every year by January 15 th :
DEC, in cooperation with Cornell University’s Pesticide Sales and Use Reporting Program (PSUR), reviewed and compiled the glyphosate report data. The data has been compiled into one table and converted into a PDF. There are 4 versions of the PDF organized by:
A legend (PDF, 159 KB) has been provided to help readers understand the specific location identifiers some agencies use to report the location of application.
The total amounts applied have also been summarized by Agency, County, and Product Name in the Glyphosate Report Summary for 2023 (PDF, 323 KB).
The reporting community, DEC, and PSUR work together to provide the best information that can reasonably be compiled. However, the data may be neither entirely accurate nor complete. The glyphosate report submissions are accepted by DEC at face value. Neither DEC nor PSUR can attest to the accuracy of the data. For instance, reporters may report the diluted amount applied instead of the undiluted amount as required by DEC. The data does, however, go through a manual review for obvious or likely errors. When obvious errors are identified, the Department follows up with the report submitter and corrections are made.
With the addition of paragraph 12 to Article 33-1301 of the Environmental Conservation Law, it is now unlawful for any state department, agency, public benefit corporation, or any pesticide applicator employed thereby as a contractor or subcontractor, to apply glyphosate on state property. However, the law permits the application of glyphosate on state property for the following uses:
Prior to applying glyphosate on state property, the state department, agency, or public benefit corporation must develop a glyphosate use determination documenting that:
Paragraph 12 of Article 33-130 also requires that the Department of Environmental Conservation post on its website the amount and location of glyphosate usage on state property by April 1st each year.
In order to compile this information, the Department requested that all state departments, agencies, and public benefit corporations that apply glyphosate on state property, or that contract with pesticide applicators to apply glyphosate on state property, report the following to DEC every year by January 15th:
DEC, in cooperation with Cornell University, reviewed and compiled the glyphosate report data. The data is available for view in 4 different formats that have been sorted by the following criteria:
The total amounts applied have also been summarized by Agency, County, and Product Name in the Glyphosate Report Summary for 2022 (PDF, 130KB),
The glyphosate report submissions are accepted by DEC at face value. Neither DEC nor Cornell can affirm that the data reported is entirely accurate. For example, reporters may report the diluted amount applied instead of the undiluted amount as required by DEC. DEC and Cornell review reports in an attempt to identify these obvious or likely errors, but not all errors can be identified or rectified. When errors are identified, the Department follows up with the report submitter and corrections are made.
Effective January 1, 2023, DEC reclassified certain neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticide products as "restricted use". Products containing imidacloprid, acetamiprid and thiamethoxam that are labeled for foliar and/or widespread outdoor use and/or seed treatment have been reclassified as restricted use. The reclassification will ensure proper use by trained applicators, and require sales and use data to be annually reported to DEC in accordance with the Pesticide Reporting Law. This will provide a practical mechanism for obtaining information on use location and amounts for products which are currently registered as "general use" in New York State and can be used by the general public. Products labeled for directed application to trees and/or the ground around trees and plants are not included.
Subdivision 12 of Section 33-1301 of the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) prohibits the use of glyphosate by state agencies, state departments, public benefit corporations, or their contractors and subcontractors on state property. However, exemptions were written into the law to allow state agencies, state departments, public benefit corporations or their contractors and subcontractors to apply glyphosate on state properties under limited circumstances for critical uses.
State departments, state agencies, and public benefit corporations must report all applications of glyphosate products on state property to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) by January 15th for applications conducted during the previous calendar year. Glyphosate applications on state property made by contractors or subcontractors of state departments, state agencies, or public benefit corporations must also be captured in the report. Contractors and subcontractors may report their glyphosate applications on behalf of the state department, state agency, or public benefit corporation that has contracted with them, but it is the responsibility of the state department, state agency, or public benefit corporation to ensure that all glyphosate applications are reported to the DEC accurately and on time.
The following information must be reported using the Glyphosate Reporting Form developed by DEC:
*Reports submitted by contractors or subcontractors related to ECL Section 33-1301 Subdivision 12 must use the agency or business registration number (if applicable) of the state department, state agency, or public benefit corporation that has contracted with them.
The Glyphosate Reporting Form must be submitted electronically by email to [email protected] no later than January 15th every year.
The file name of the Glyphosate Reporting Form must include the official name of the state department, state agency, or public benefit corporation making pesticide applications or contracting pesticide applications. Contractors and subcontractors who submit reports must include their official name in the file name in addition to the official name of the state department, state agency, or public benefit corporation that has contracted with them.
State departments, state agencies, and public benefit corporations are required to maintain copies of reports, even if the reports are submitted by a contractor or subcontractor. Copies must be maintained for a minimum of three years following the date(s) of the application(s) and must be available for inspection upon request by the department.
Questions can be directed to [email protected] or call 518-402-8727.
