01- 026 C.M.R. ch. 22, § 5

Current through 2024-51, December 18, 2024

Section 026-22-5 - VARIANCES FROM STANDARDS

A.Variance Permit Application

An applicator may vary from any of the standards imposed under this chapter by obtaining a permit to do so from the Board. Permit applications shall be made on such forms as the Board provides and shall include at least the following information:

I. The name, address, and telephone number of the applicant;

II. The area(s) where pesticides will be applied;

III. The type(s) of pesticides to be applied;

IV. The purpose for which the pesticide application(s) will be made;

V. The approximate date(s) of anticipated spray activities;

VI. The type(s) of spray equipment to be employed;

VII. The particular standards from which the applicant seeks a variance;

VIII. The particular reasons why the applicant seeks a variance from such standards, including a detailed description of the techniques to be employed to assure a reasonably equivalent degree of protection and of the monitoring efforts to be made to assure such protection;

IX. The names and addresses of all owners or lessees of land within 500 feet of the proposed spray activity, and evidence that such persons have been notified of the application. The Board may waive this requirement where compliance would be unduly burdensome and the applicant attempts to notify affected persons in the community by another means which the Board finds reasonable.

B.Board Review; Legal Effect of Permit, Delegation of Authority to Staff

I. Within 60 days after a complete application is submitted, the Board shall issue a permit if it finds that the applicant will achieve a substantially equivalent degree of protection as adherence to the requirements of this chapter would provide and will conduct spray activities in a manner which protects human health and the environment. Such permit shall authorize a variance only from those particular standards for which variance is expressly requested in the application and is expressly granted in the permit. The Board may place conditions on any such permit, and the applicant shall comply with such conditions. Except as conditioned in the permit, the applicant shall undertake spray activities in accordance with all of the procedures described in the application and all other applicable legal standards. Permits issued by the Board under this section shall not be transferable or assignable except with further written approval of the Board and shall be valid only for the period specified in the permit.

II. The Board may delegate authority to review applications and issue permits to the staff as it feels appropriate. All conditions and limitations as described in Section 5(B) I shall remain in effect for permits issued by the staff. If the staff does not grant the variance permit, the applicator may petition the Board for exemption following the requirements set forth in 22 M.R.S.A. §1471-T, "Exemptions."

01- 026 C.M.R. ch. 22, § 5