NEW YORK – New York City has officially declared war on rats in an effort to eradicate a longstanding and growing rodent problem.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed four laws Friday to try to fight rats and build a cleaner city, he said in his statement.
Under the proposal, the legislation would create rat mitigation zones to build on successful efforts, codify Mayor Adams’ announcement to dramatically reduce the time trash sits on city sidewalks, and reduce rats in buildings and other areas. of buildings with heavy rodent infestation.
Taken together, these bills aim to reduce rats in New York City and will build a cleaner, more welcoming city for all New Yorkers.
“Today I am proud to sign four bills to help create a cleaner, more welcoming city for New Yorkers,” Mayor Adams said.
In October, the mayor announced changes to reduce the amount of time black bags stay on the sidewalk, and in early November, he created the “Get Stuff Clean” initiative.
ABOUT “CLEAN THINGS”
The city will award $14.5 million in new funding this fiscal year to the Get Stuff Clean initiative to clean up more than 1,000 brownfield sites around the city, increase trash can service, expand enforcement of illegal dumping and attracting other rat exterminators, resulting in faster and more reliable cleaning of all corners of the city.
“Mouse-free streets are vital to our city’s vibrant neighborhoods and economic recovery, and I thank the City Council for their partnership in keeping our city sparkling clean,” Adams added.
NEW LAWS TO ERADICATE RAT IN NYC
Mayor Adams signed the following bills into law on Friday:
Law 414-A: requires the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to issue an annual report on the success of rat mitigation measures in areas with the highest number of rats. In addition, DOHMH will report current and planned rat mitigation measures in each area, including any public awareness measures in place.
Law 442-A: Ensures that, prior to issuing a permit authorizing certain construction work subject to rodent pest control, the applicant certifies that a licensed exterminator has been employed to effectively treat the facility for rodent pest control.
Law 459-A: requires DOHMH to designate rat mitigation zones no later than April 1, 2023. This bill also requires the DSNY to typically determine the hours during which buildings must dispose of their waste and recycle it to the disposal.
Law 460-A: requires that buildings that receive two or more rodent-specific housing maintenance codes or two or more rodent-specific health code violations use approved rodent-resistant containers for at least two years.
