See Press Release Below:

BOSTON – Boston City Councilors Ed Flynn,  Lydia Edwards, and Liz Breadon will hold a hearing this Friday to discuss issues relating to pest control and illegal dumping in the City of Boston. The hearing is intended to discuss measures that the city can take to respond to the recent uptick in rodent activities, as well as ways to curb illegal dumping in our city. The hearing will be chaired by Councilor Ed Flynn in the Committee on City and Neighborhood Services, and will be held virtually on Friday, October 1st, 10am.

There have been increased reports of rodent infestations and activities during the past year in the city, as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this activity due to restaurants and other food sources for rats and rodents closing down. Unfortunately, this issue has persisted even while our economy continues to fully reopen. In discussing the issue of pest control, we should also talk about illegal dumping, as trash that is not properly disposed of can attract rodents and cause other public health issues, with frequent reports of illegal dumping in our neighborhoods. This hearing will discuss ways that the city can adequately handle these issues, including increasing enforcement, and more public awareness and outreach about proper ways of disposing trash and preventing rodent activities.

“We have unfortunately seen a noticeable increase in rodent activities over the last year, therefore it’s important that we discuss measures for effective pest control and keeping our streets clean,” said Councilor Flynn. “Pest control and illegal dumping are critical issues that impact the quality of life and public health for our residents, and I look forward to further discussing how we can improve our strategies on these issues at this hearing with Councilors Edwards and Breadon, city and administration officials, neighbors and civic organizations.”

To watch the hearing, you can go to boston.gov/city-council-tv. To submit written testimony or request to testify at the hearing, please reach out to Juan Lopez at [email protected].. For more information on the hearing, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 or [email protected].