State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Rhode-island > Title-23 > Chapter-23-25 > 23-25-3SECTION 23-25-3
§ 23-25-3 Declaration of purpose. –The purpose of this chapter is to regulate, in the public interest, thelabeling, distribution, sale, storage, transportation, use and application, anddisposal of pesticides as defined in this chapter. The general assembly findsthat pesticides are valuable to our state's agricultural production and to theprotection of human life and the environment from insects, rodents, weeds, andother forms of life which may be pests; but it is essential to the publichealth and welfare that they be regulated to prevent adverse effects on humanlife and the environment. New pesticides are continually being discovered,synthesized, or developed which are valuable for the control of pests and foruse as defoliants, desiccants, and plant regulators. Those pesticides may beineffective, may cause injury to man, or may cause unreasonable adverse effectson the environment if not properly used. Pesticides may injure human life oranimals, either by direct poisoning or by gradual accumulation of pesticideresidues in the tissue. Crops or other plants may also be injured by theirimproper use. The drifting or washing of pesticides into streams, lakes, orother bodies of water may cause appreciable damage to aquatic life. A pesticideapplied for the purpose of killing pests in a crop which is not itself injuredby the pesticide, may drift and injure other crops or non-target organisms withwhich it comes in contact. It is deemed necessary to provide for regulation ofpesticides.
