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The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) supports reasonable regulation at the state level of the handling and application of lawn care products, consistent with federal statutory and regulatory requirements. PLANET believes reasonable regulation is necessary to ensure continued and improved protection of both public health and safety and the environment.

PLANET supports:

• Notification of concerned customers and certain specific individuals prior to scheduled applications of lawn care products to property;
• Posting a marker on the applied lawn at the time of treatment to inform customers and the general public that lawn care products have been applied;
• Providing certain product information and post application instructions to customers at the time of application.

PLANET opposes:

• The enactment of any regulations or ordinances controlling lawn care products by governmental units below the state level.

Guidelines

1. PRENOTIFICATION
   
   
   1. PLANET supports state requirements for applicators of lawn care products to notify customers before scheduled applications:
      
      
      1. Customers of an applicator who notify the applicator that they desire prior notification;
         
      2. Anyone whose property abuts, or is adjacent to, an applicator customer’s property who notifies the applicator that he/she wants prior notification;
         
      3. Anyone whose property abuts, or is adjacent to, an applicator customer’s property who has his/her name placed on a state-administered registry because they have been certified by a licensed medical physician to have allergic reactions or other valid medical reactions to the application of lawn care products. The appropriate state agency should be required to develop, maintain, and distribute the registry to applicators. The registry should contain the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of registered individuals.
         
   2. The applicator should be required to provide prior notification to the above described concerned individuals in writing, in person, or by telephone before scheduled applications of lawn care products. When a concerned individual is inaccessible up to the time of scheduled application, the applicator should be required to leave a written notice at the concerned individual’s address. PLANET believes applicators should be given reasonable flexibility in the amount of time before application that notifications must be made.
      
   3. PLANET believes prior notification to concerned individuals should include:
      
      
      1. Date and address of the scheduled application;
         
      2. Name and telephone number of the applicator;
         
      3. The applicator’s state license number, where applicable.
         
   4. Should concerned individuals request written information regarding the lawn care products to be applied, PLANET believes that manufacturer-prepared product information sheets, OSHA required Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) or, if applicable, FIFRA-required pesticide label information should be considered sufficient literature.
      
2. POSTING
   
   
   1. PLANET supports state requirements for applicators of lawn care products to post an application marker at the unusual point of entry of a treated property at the time the lawn care products are applied.
      
   2. Application markers should consist of a sign with the following specifications:
      
      
      1. The sign should be 4 inches by 5 inches, horizontal or vertical, attached to the upper portion of a dowel or other supporting device with the bottom of the marker extending no less than 12 inches above the turf.
         
      2. The sign should be constructed of material durable enough to withstand weather conditions for at least 24 hours.
         
      3. The sign should be white with lettering in a contrasting color, with all pertinent information on the front of the sign.
         
      4. The sign should read in letters not less than 3/8 inch, LAWN CARE APPLICATION — STAY OFF UNTIL DRY. The sign also should display a picture depicting the required message and an instruction to the customer to remove the sign the day after application. The sign may also display the commercial applicator’s name, logo, and service mark.
         
      5. The application marker should be removed and discarded by the property owner or resident, or such person authorized by the property owner or resident, on the day after the application.
         
3. INFORMATION PROVIDED TO A CUSTOMER AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION
   
   
   1. PLANET supports providing the following information to a customer by the professional applicator at the time of application:
      
      
      1. Name and telephone number of the professional applicator;
         
      2. The name and, if applicable, the state applicator license number of the individual actually making the application;
         
      3. The common or brand name and the purpose of each lawn care product applied;
         
      4. The range of concentration of end use for each lawn care product applied;
         
      5. Any post-application instructions that may be contained on the label of any pesticides applied, as they pertain to the end-use concentration.  

Return to PLANET Position Statements list