Connecticut legislators are calling for a ban on harmful rodenticides, second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) that can affect Connecticut wildlife and public health. A pair of spider monkeys at Beardsley Zoo died after eating poisoned rodents. Testing of 101 deceased birds and animals found that 78 tested positive for second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, including five bald eagles, eight great horned owls, an endangered barn owl and 56 hawks. HB 6915, “AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF SECOND GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES,” addresses second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides.

Legislators also have concerns about neonicotinoids, which are pesticides known to harm pollinators (see “CT Pesticide Reform Coalition Targets Neonicotinoids” in this issue of CFNews). These pesticides contribute to the decline of birds, bees, and butterflies, all of which are species vital to agriculture and our ecosystems. HB 6916, “AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF NEONICOTINOIDS.” addresses neonicintinoids. Please follow these two bills and act when necessary.

Balloons: Legislators are still calling for a ban on helium balloons. They want to ban the sale, import, or distribution of helium balloons. Senate Bill 1154 would ban the sale, import, or distribution of any lighter-than-air-gas or helium balloons entirely, subject to a fine. There is still a 10-balloon limit on releases. They are looking into a biodegradable balloon, but that doesn’t address the strings attached to the ballon that causes the most harm to wildlife.

“Nips”: Then there are those little “nips” bottles. Click here for a list of municipalities and how many nips are sold in each city or town and how much they make from the sales. Why not put that money into devising a machine that would accept those little “nips” bottles, and remove them from our streets, parks, gardens, lawns, parking lots, etc. for good? They could also be picked up by the people that collect bottles and return them for the cash. This would keep them off our streets. A bill setting a floor of 50 milliliters for liquor containers (Proposed HB 5235) — effectively eliminating the sale of those little “nips” — has been proposed in the current legislative session, but is not expected to pass.

— Gerri Giordano, FGCCT Legislative/Government Action Chair

The rodenticide bill as currently drafted is missing the core provision needed to prevent the widespread use of this poison by pest control companies. HB 5217 MUST PROHIBIT THE USE—NOT JUST RESTRICT THE SALE—OF THESE TOXIC CHEMICALS to effectively protect wildlife and pets from consuming these poisons.

First- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide poisons work by preventing blood from clotting. The victims die slowly from internal bleeding with a few days. These second-generation anticoagulants were created to be more toxic and last longer in a victim’s body. The only known antidote may work if it is administered immediately, but most wildlife hide any illness until it is too late.

Wildlife rehabilitators, biologists, and state residents are seeing Connecticut’s birds of prey dying from rodenticide poisoning at an alarming rate. Rodenticide is the cause of death for the majority of these birds who are brought to rehabilitators, indicating that there is a much larger problem in the wild than people are aware of.

Rodenticides are commonly located in dark gray bait boxes next to buildings, in parks, and anywhere that people want to eliminate rodents. These rodenticides pose a greater threat to non-target wildlife, pets and other animals that prey upon these rodents. There are other safe and effective alternatives to rodenticides.

We should also support HB 2023 (SB 962) which

Includes a ban on sale, use, and application of SGARS

1. Spells out appropriate exemptions for agriculture food production sites, food warehouses, breweries, wineries, medical facilities or for infestations associated with a public health crisis
2. Fully applies to places people eat, live, shop, and work such as grocery stores, restaurants, homes, schools, and office buildings.

The ban includes any sale or distribution through the Internet. The bill subjects violators of the ban to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation by the DEEP commissioner. Without the ban, licensed pesticide applicators will routinely continue to overuse this overkill method.

Please contact Environmental Co-Chairs Rep. Joseph Gresko and Sen. Rick Lopes with your concerns and help prevent the unnecessary poisoning of our state’s wildlife.

Gerri Giordano,

Legislation/Action Chair

Just a quick list of some Environmental Bills that passed this Session, and some that didn’t:

Passed:

• Tree removal on Properties controlled by DEEP
• Restoration of Eel Grass
• Harvesting of Horseshoe Crabs
• Limiting nighttime lighting of State-owned buildings at certain times for the protection of birds
• Managing waste and creating a waste authority
• Authorizing the establishment of a Seabird and Shorebird Protection Program
• Authorizing certain killing of Black bears, Prohibiting Bird Feeders and other unintentional feeding

Failed:

• The use of certain Rodenticides
• Use of Neonicotinoids
• Greenhouse Gas emissions
• Zero carbon emissions
• Intentional release of certain balloons
• The State Plan of Conservation and Development
• Financial Incentives for certain Streamside River buffers

Note on Pesticides: Senate Bill 963, a bill banning of neonicotinoids, and Senate bill 962, which sought to restrict the use of deadly rodenticides, were critical measures for protecting our pollinators and bird populations. The Senate co-chair of the Environmental Committee refused to raise these bills in his chamber, and both failed.

The bill on banning release of helium balloons, but only after removing the fine!  More work needs to be done on this bill. We must continue to press for NO RELEASE.

— Gerri Giordano, FGCCT Legislation Chair

In the new legislative session, 2023, there is another bill, HB5050, meant to protect birds and other wildlife creatures from a slow and panful death calling for banning the intentional release of even one lighter-than-air balloon.

The existing law limits releases to fewer that 10 per person in one day. Violators may be fined $35 plus fees that bring the total cost per violation to $75. They are talking about increasing the fines. We want them stopped.

Representative Irene Haines, co-sponsored by David Michael, has introduced a bill HB 5050 that would ban ALL releases. HB 5050 is an act Prohibiting the release of Helium balloons. That is section 26-25 of the General Statutes be amended to prohibit release of ANY lighter-than-air balloons.  This bill has been introduced many times and has failed to make it out of committee, partly because some legislators believe it is not enforceable. Businesses that sell balloons and promote balloon releases have stymied the proposal.

Let’s bombard the Environmental Committee with phone calls, emails and letters.  Let them know how we feel for the sake of our wildlife and for our Long Island Sound and waterways.  Please contact the Environmental committee or Irene Haines @: irene.haines@housegop.ct.gov and ask them to pass HB 5050.

I need your help getting this bill passed.  It only takes an email and if we all send one….well…we can only hope it will pass.

Gerri Giordano, FGCCT Legislation/Government Action Chair