RYE, NY (April 22, 2026) — State environmental officers issued 31 tickets to landscapers and pesticide businesses across Westchester County, including in Rye, during an Earth Day enforcement detail targeting unlicensed and improperly regulated pesticide use.
Lt. Dainack and Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) Franz, Schuck, Swansen and Tompkins assisted employees from the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Bureau of Pesticides during the detail, according to DEC. Bureau of Pesticides employees checked multiple locations throughout Westchester County with ECO support.
Tickets were issued in the City of Rye, Village of Ardsley, Town of Greenburgh and Village of Scarsdale, DEC said. Officers and Bureau of Pesticides employees focused primarily on landscapers in residential neighborhoods to verify they held proper certification to apply pesticides commercially.
Violations cited included operating an unregistered pesticide business, unlabeled pesticide service containers, unlicensed pesticide applicators, failure to place pesticide markers prior to application, and contaminating non-target areas, according to DEC.
Officers patrolled more than 40 miles on e-bikes during the detail, a method DEC said is intended to cut emissions, improve community policing, and increase mobility and visibility while traveling through neighborhoods.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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