By Jay Bragg
Associate Director
TFB Commodity and Regulatory Activities
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed revisions to 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 171–Certification of Pesticide Applicators–which sets federal competency standards (testing/training requirements) for certifying and recertifying applicators to apply Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) administers this program in Texas.
EPA claims that the rulemaking is necessary to protect public health and provide consistency between state pesticide programs; however, there is little evidence to support these claims.
As currently written, the rule would have the greatest impact to commercial applicators; however, the rule has broad implications and could change significantly as EPA reviews public comments and finalizes the rule.
In the rulemaking, EPA specifically requested input on a number of substantive portions of the rule pertaining to the testing, training and recertification requirements for pesticide applicators.
Environmental activist groups will call for more stringent rules. Farmers, ranchers and pesticide applicators should submit comments to counterbalance calls for more burdensome regulations.
Texas Farm Bureau staff has prepared a brief overview of EPA’s proposed Pesticide Applicators Certification and Training Rule.
Please submit your comments through Texas Farm Bureau’s action alert: http://bit.ly/1XYS56v. The deadline for public comments is Dec. 23, 2015.