BOSTON (Legal Newsline) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has announced Patrick F. McNeil, operating under the names Community Pest Control and Countryside Wildlife, will pay $50,000 to resolve allegations he operated without a license and misled consumers about the safety and effectiveness of his services.
“Pesticides are toxic by design and it is crucial that those who apply them meet the state’s rigorous licensing and certification requirements before doing so,” Healey said. “Our office will continue to take action to protect the public from the misuse of pesticides to avoid or reduce harmful human and environmental exposure to chemical pesticides.”
McNeil allegedly violated the state’s pesticide control and consumer protection laws by using unauthorized pesticides in his business, which focused on eliminating terminates, carpenter ants and bed bugs.
McNeil is banned from operating in the state of Massachusetts for at least two years.
“Our Pesticide Enforcement Division protects public health and the environment by enforcing pesticide laws and regulations throughout the commonwealth,” said Department of Agricultural Resources commissioner John Lebeaux. “Pesticide enforcement staff and MDAR legal counsel worked closely with the Office of the Attorney General to pursue the multiple alleged violations and prevent future unlicensed pesticide applications by Mr. McNeil.”