The purpose of the Pesticide Relief Fund as set forth in § 23-25.2-1 for the R.I. Gen. Laws are to establish a fund to provide both emergency relief for pesticide contamination and financial support for pest control methods that reduce or eliminate reliance upon chemical pesticides and, to establish a pesticide relief advisory board to make recommendations to the Director of the Department of Environmental Management regarding the fund and to advise the Director on pesticides and public health dangers associated with their use in this State.”

These regulations are promulgated pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-17.1 and § 23-25.2-6(a)(1), and in accordance with the procedures set forth in the R.I. Administrative Procedures Act, R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-35. R.I. Gen Laws § 23-25.2-6(a)(1), entitled “Rules and Regulations,” requires the Director of the Department of Environmental Management to “develop by rule and regulation the criteria necessary for defining eligible recipients of emergency relief, eligible IPM projects and eligible recipients of IPM grants".

A. Definition of "Integrated pest management" means all eligible recipients and IPM projects must Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as defined in § 23-25.2-2 of the R.I. Gen. Laws.

B. Funding Requirements: All eligible recipients an IPM projects must concern problems in Rhode Island.

C. Dates of Funding: All IPM proposals and grants must be for work done for a period of no longer than one (1) year.

D. Eligible Recipients: The Director of the Department of Environmental Management will consider proposals, which include, but are not limited to the following areas:

1. Research grants to Rhode Island institutions of higher learning for IPM research projects in both agricultural and urban pest control;

2. Education grants to Rhode Island environmental organizations, Rhode Island institutions of higher learning, and departments or agencies of government to promote the concept of IPM;

3. Program grants to departments or agencies of both state and local government for IPM, programs in such areas as mosquito abatement, gypsy moth control, and urban pest management in publicly owned buildings;

4. Program grants to private firms and for IPM programs in privately-owned buildings that are open to the general public, such as hospitals, museums, malls and schools;

5. Program grants to farmers for IPM programs on their farms.

No IPM grant shall exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount available in the portion of the fund reserved for such grants at the time the grant is awarded.

The Pesticide Relief Advisory board shall review each proposal according to its guidelines and make its recommendations to the Director of the Department of Environmental Management. The Director of the Department of Environmental Management shall make the awards after giving due consideration to the recommendations of the Board, the amount in the fund, the eligibility of the applicant and the proposal.

Those individuals, educational institutions, municipalities or other organizations that are notified that they have been selected to receive IPM funding shall sign an agreement with the Department of Environmental Management specifying the terms conditions of the award.

Subject to the approval of the Director of the Department of Environmental Management, any changes(s) to be made in the signed agreement, particularly those effecting change(s) in budgetary expenditures, shall require a new agreement reflecting said approved change(s) to be signed between the Department of Environmental Management and the recipient of IPM funding.