Title 24, Ecosystem Protection and Development

(a) Each pulenuu shall once each week make a thorough inspection of all lands and planta-tions within the village, and shall report in writing to the County Chief before the third day of each month the name of any person whose land or plantation is uncleared, or in an unsanitary …

(a) Upon a day designated by the Governor, the pulenuu shall assembly all able-bodied males of the village, and they shall make a careful search of the village and all plantations for coconut beetles and their breeding places. (b) All beetles, larvae and eggs that are found shall…

The Governor may issue such rules, and appoint such inspectors, as he deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. History: 1962, PL 7-18.

Village councils may adopt rules for the purposes of this chapter that are not inconsistent with any other provisions of this Code. History: 1962, PL 7-18.

Any Samoan official who knowingly makes any false report or purposely fails to report shall be sentenced as for a class B misdemeanor, and, in addition, removed from office by the Governor. History: 1962, PL7-18; amd 1980, PL 16-90 § 11. Amendments: 1980 Amended to conform with p…

Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be sentenced as for a class C misdemeanor. History: 1962, PL7-18; amd 1980, PL 16-90 § 12. Amendments: 1980 Amended to conform with penalties provided for in Title 46, Criminal Justice.

The act codified in this chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “American Samoa Pesticide Act of 1 979”. History: 1979, PL 16-51, § 1.

As used in this chapter: (1) “Animal” means all vertebrate and invertebrate species, including but not limited to man and other mammals, birds, fish and shellfish. (2) Applicators. (A) “Certified applicator” means any individual who is certified under 24.1212 through 24.1216 to u…

This act shall be administered by the Director, Department of Agriculture, hereinafter referred to as “Director”. History: 1979, PL 16-51 § 1.

The Director is authorized, after due notice and an opportunity for a hearing, to: (1) declare as a pest any form of plant or animal life (other than man and other than bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms on or in living man or other living animals) which is injurious to …

The Director is authorized, after due notice to adopt appropriate rules as necessary for the enforcement and administration of this chapter, including but not limited to rules providing for: (1) the collection, examination, and reporting of samples of pesticides or devices under …

(a) For the purpose of uniformity and in order to enter into cooperative agreements, the Director may adopt rules in conformity with the primary pesticide standards, particularly as to labeling, registration requirements, and issuance of experimental use permits as established by…

In addition to those restricted use pesticides classified by the administrator, EPA, the Director may also, by rule, determine restricted pesticide uses for the territory or for designated areas within the Territory. If the Director determines that the pesticide (when applied in …

Rules adopted under this act shall not permit any pesticide use which is prohibited by FIFRA and regulations or orders issued under it. Rules relating to certified applicators, special local needs registrations and experimental use permits shall not be inconsistent with the requi…

In order to comply with §4 of FIFRA, the Director is authorized to make reports to the EPA in a form and containing the information that agency may from time to time require. History: 1979, PL 16-51 § 1.

(a) Standards of competency for the certification of pesticide applicators may relate to the use and handling of pesticides, or to the use and handling of the pesticide or class of pesticides covered by the individual’s certification, and shall be relative to the hazards involved…

No individual may use or supervise the use of any restricted use pesticide unless the individual is a certified applicator; provided, that a competent individual who is not a certified applicator may use a restricted use pesticide under the direct supervision of a certified appli…

No commercial applicator may use or supervise the use of any restricted use pesticide without a commercial applicator’s certificate issued by the Director. History: 1979, PL 16-51 § 1.

Application for the commercial applicator’s certificate shall be made in writing to the Director on a designated form obtained from the Director’s office. Each application for a certificate shall contain information regarding the applicant’s qualifications and proposed operations…

The applicant shall pass a written examination to demonstrate to the Director his knowledge of the nature and effect of pesticides. The examination will cover at a minimum the general standards of competency in 40 CFR 171.4(b) and 171.6 as well as the specific standards in 40 CFR…

The Director may issue a commercial applicator certificate to any applicant who fulfills the requirements specified in 24.1212 through 24.1215. Commercial applicator certificates shall be valid for a period of 2 years from the date of issuance unless sooner suspended or revoked b…

(a) No private applicator may use or supervise the use of any restricted use pesticide without first complying with the certification requirements established by the Director by rule. (b) Certification for private applicators will at a minimum include those standards specified in…

The Director may suspend, pending inquiry, for not longer than 10 days and after opportunity for a hearing may deny, suspend, revoke, or modify any provision of any certification issued under this act if he finds that the applicant or the holder of a license, permit, or certifica…

It is unlawful for any person to distribute in this territory any of the following: (1) any pesticide if any of the claims made for it or any of the directions for its use or other labeling differs from the representations made in connection with its registration, or if the compo…

It is unlawful for any person to: (1) distribute any restricted use pesticide to any person who is not certified or under the direct supervision of an individual who is certified to use or purchase such pesticide; provided, that the Director may permit distribution to an uncertif…

(a) The penalties provided for violations of paragraphs (1) through (4) of 24.1221 do not apply to: (1) any carrier while lawfully engaged in transporting a pesticide within American Samoa, if the carrier, upon request, permits the director to copy all records showing the transac…

(a) For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter, the Director may enter upon any public or private premises at reasonable times, in order to: (1) have access for the purpose of inspecting any equipment used in applying pesticides; (2) inspect or sample lands ac…

When the Director has reasonable cause to believe a pesticide or device is being distributed, stored, transported, or used in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, or of any of the rules adopted, he may issue and serve a written “stop sale, use, or removal” order up…

(a) Any distributor of pesticides may be required by the Director to keep accurate records containing the following: (1) the delivery, movement, or holding of any pesticide or device including the quantity; (2) the date of shipment and receipt; (3) the name of consignor and consi…

The Director may cooperate, receive grants-in-aid, and enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with any agency of the federal government of this territory or its subdivisions, or with any agency of another state, in order to: (1) secure uniformity of rules; (2) register pe…

The functions vested in the Director by this act may be delegated by him to employees of the department or agents as the Director may from time to time designate for those purposes. History: 1979, PL 16-51 § 1.

(a) Any person violating any provisions of this chapter or rules adopted under it is guilty of a class B misdemeanor for the 1st violation. In any instance where a person was issued a warning in writing by the Director under this chapter, the person shall, upon conviction of that…

As used in this chapter: (a) “Fungicide” means any solution or product used to inhibit the growth of fungi. (b) “Herbicide” means any solution or product used to destroy or inhibit any form of plant growth. (c) “Insecticide” means any chemical solution or product the purpose of w…

The importation, sale, or use of the chemical dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is absolutely prohibited in American Samoa. History: 1970, PL 11-108.

The Director of Agriculture may: (1) ban the importation of such fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides, in addition to DDT, as he finds to constitute a danger to the people, animals or crops in American Samoa; (2) set forth requirements for the labeling of fungicide, herbicide…

The sale of any fungicide, herbicide, or insecticide to persons under the age of 18 years is prohibited. History: 1970, PL 11-108; 1972, PL 12-54 § 3.

Conviction of a vendor under 24.1255 shall constitute good cause for the suspension or revocation of his business license. History: 1970, PL 11-108.

Any person who violates any provision of 24.1250 through 24.1254, and any vendor who fails to comply with such requirements as may be set forth by the Director of Agriculture, shall be sentenced as for a class B misdemeanor. History: 1970, PL 11-108, amd 1980, PL 16-90 § 13. Amen…

The Director of Agriculture is responsible for the purchasing, stocking, and selling of fungicide, herbicide, and insecticide distributed by the government. History: 1984, PL 18-26 § 1.

(a) Within the limits of funds budgeted and appropriated for the purpose, and subject to such regulations as the Governor may prescribe, the Director of the Department of Agriculture is authorized to make agriculture crop loans in accordance with this chapter. (b) A loan shall be…

A loan may be made to finance the cost of tools, machinery, materials, and labor for the planting of crops, including the clearing of land for crop production purposes, and for the construction of toolsheds, copra and cocoa driers and other buildings or structures needed for agri…

(a) No loan to any one person, together with the unpaid balance of any prior loan under this program, may exceed $5,000. (b) The limitation in subsection (a) does not apply to loans granted by the Development Bank of American Samoa under 24.2009. History: 1962, PL 7-24; 1965, PL …

Each loan shall bear interest at the rate of 4% per year unless a different rate is prescribed by the Governor. History: 1962, PL 7-24, 1965, PL 9-16.

(a) Each loan shall be made upon the basis of a written loan agreement signed by the borrower and the matai controlling the family land if family land is involved. (b) The loan agreement shall specify the obligations assumed by the borrower, which may include farming practices to…

All collections of loans and interest shall be deposited in the general fund of the government, shall be transferred to the account currently available for making agricultural crop loans, and shall be available for making new loans in accordance with the provisions of this chapte…

In order to assist the Director of the Department of Agriculture or the Development Bank of American Samoa, as the case may be, in determining the eligibility of applicants, each application shall be submitted to an Advisory Board consisting of the County Chief, the District Gove…