The New York City Council passed the Rat Action Plan Thursday, a package of four bills that set new pest management standards. Among other measures, it will require applicants for certain construction work permits in the city to certify that a licensed exterminator was retained to effectively treat the premises for rodent extermination. — Construction Dive
The city is currently enduring a spike in its world-renowned rodent population, as rat sightings in all five boroughs have gone up by a total of 71% when compared to last year. Outdoor dining sheds are at least partially to blame, but the city’s public sanitation standards and its now record-breaking number of construction sites are also contributors, prompting the city to put forward the new plan.
“New construction is still booming, anytime you cut open the ground you usually open nests of rats, that would really be a big part of it, as far as sightings,” a local pest control specialist explained to the Daily News recently. The new requirement only applies to job sites in “designated rat mitigation zones” and will take effect in April. An annual report from the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will chart the success of the efforts and be made publicly available no later than November 1st of the same year.
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