On October 28th, 2016 MPAC's Executive Director Ruth Kerzee <a href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/dry-ice-and-rodenticide-use-in-chicago-is-it-safe-effective-and-legal/" target="_blank">raised legality concerns</a> about the City of Chicago's use of  dry ice to control rat populations.   In early November, the EPA alerted the cities of Chicago, Boston, and New York that the practice of using dry ice to kill rats was not a registered rat control measure under the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-federal-insecticide-fungicide-and-rodenticide-act" target="_blank">Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act</a> and, therefore, prohibited to use for rat control. USA Today's Aamer Madhani featured Ruth Kerzee's comments in his coverage of the issue <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/11/23/epa-big-cities-stop-killing-rats-dry-ice/94337366/" target="_blank">here</a>.

MPAC supports an integrated pest management (IPM) approach for pest problems such as rats that addresses the root cause of the pest or weed's existence by minimizing access to food, water, and/or hiding places.  To learn more about IPM for rats and other pest problems, visit our <a href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/what-you-can-do/all-resources/" target="_blank">Resources page</a>.