Pesticide Bureau News

March 1998                    Volume 1, Issue 98-1

Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture Web Site Now Online

Information about the Pesticide Bureau can be found at the recently launched Department of Food and Agriculture web site, MASSDFA Online. The page which quietly went online at the beginning of January, can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.massdfa.org.

Our initial goal for the site is to provide an easily accessed gateway to information regarding each division within the Department and its programs. The long term goal is to complement this informational role with more complex functionality, such as providing searchable databases, enabling visitors to the site to request information or allowing visitors to register for Department programs and licenses.

The site can be navigated in a number of ways: through options on the home page menu, through the Search the Site page or through the alphabetical index found in the Programs and Services page. Some features of the site include a message from Commissioner Jay Healy, a directory of all employees with their email addresses and phone numbers and a guest book where visitors can register their impressions and comments. The site is linked to information on the Division of Agricultural Development’s web site MASSGROWN which includes a growers discussion forum, a buy and sell page and a jobs and internship listing.

The Pesticide Bureau page can be accessed from the Department of Food and Agriculture home page or directly by using the following URL: http://www.massdfa.org/pesticides/

The Pesticide Bureau page manages to provide both background to all the programs administered by the Bureau and up to the minute news and features that change regularly. The page makes it easier to access Pesticide Bureau information and ultimately will save users a lot of time.

Information about the Bureau’s waste pesticide collection program is posted with a link to background information, including a summary of the Survey of Obsolete / Unwanted Pesticides and Pesticide Containers that was sent out last year.

One potentially useful section of the site is the Pesticide Bureau Publications page. Here you will find all Pesticide Bureau publications which can be downloaded, copied and distributed.

Among the publications are The IPM Kit for Building Managers and A Homeowners Guide to Environmentally Sound Lawncare. The Pesticide Bureau News, along with back copies, is also available online.

A section on Frequently Asked Questions should (hopefully) answer most of your questions. If not, there is a link from each program to a contact who can help you. You can send email to the contact or call them at the number posted.

Ultimately the site is for you-so please let us know what you think.

Our hope is that you find this home page to be engaging, informative, educational and above all a valuable resource. n

Waste Pesticide Collection Program Update

Over the past year the Pesticide Bureau has been working to develop a statewide collection program for waste pesticides. The Bureau feels that this collection program is necessary to remove large quantities of banned, unwanted or unusable pesticides from our environment. Expected to take place in early November at seven sites throughout the Commonwealth, the program will target state agencies, municipalities and licenced and certified applicators.

A similar event was successfully undertaken in 1990 when more than 64,000 lbs. of pesticides were removed from the Massachusetts waste stream. There has not been a waste pesticide collection program on a statewide basis since that time. In the Spring of 1997, the Bureau in collaboration with the MASS Extension Service, conducted a survey of the pesticide disposal needs of some 6,600 licensed and certified applicators. Based upon the survey results, it was determined that a strong need exists for this collection program.

Another driving force for the new collection program has been the recent adoption by the Commonwealth of the Universal Waste Rule (310 CMR 30.000). This rule will allow participants to self transport their pesticides to disposal sites. Informational material on the safe packaging and transportation of waste pesticides will be provided in a number of ways: MASS Extension training programs, a Pesticide Bureau publication, the Department’s website (www.massdfa.org) and a Collection Program Hotline. The information will also include collection locations, times and dates.

In collaboration with the MASS Extension Service, the Pesticide Bureau will hold training programs for participants during the Spring.

The training programs will explain to participants the correct packaging, transportation and emergency response procedures. Contact hours will be awarded.

The dates and locations for the workshops for Pesticide Disposal are:

(1) Mon., Mar. 23; 10am-Noon, Holiday Inn Worcester;.

(2) Tues., Mar. 24; 10am-Noon; Crowne Plaza, Pittsfield;.

(3) Thurs., Mar. 26; 1.30 pm-3.30pm; Sheraton, Plymouth;

(4) Mon., Mar. 30; 1.30pm-3.30pm; Hotel Northampton, Northampton;

(5) Thurs., Apr. 2; 1.30pm-3.30pm; Sheraton, Lowell.

Further information can be obtained from the UMASS Extension service at 413- 545-1044.

A hotline dedicated to providing information about the program will be set up by the vendor receiving the waste pesticides. Furthermore, the participants in the program will be required to preregister with the vendor conducting the operation. The program is pay as you go. It is expected that the large scale nature of the program will result in savings to participants. The MassDFA Online web site will provide updates on the program as needed (www.massdfa.org).

The program is expected to be the first in an annual series of collection events, leading eventually to permanent regional pesticide collection sites. That is still a few years down the road. For now, through this program, the Bureau hopes to provide a general pesticide clean out mechanism. n

Exam Cancellation Policy Information

Call (617) 727-3020 x181 for a pre-recorded message with exam dates, location and cancellation information. In the event of inclement weather, call this number after 6:30 a.m. on the morning of the scheduled exam to find out if the exam has been canceled. If the exam is canceled, you will be told a new date to report to take the exam. Normally the new date will be the pre-scheduled snow date in the 1998 exam schedule.

If the exam has not been canceled, you will hear the normal recording of exam dates.

Be sure to see and save the 1998 exam schedule in this edition of the Pesticide Bureau News. n

Do We Have Your Correct Address?

Have you moved, are you planning to move or had difficulty receiving mail from the Pesticide Bureau? Please call the Bureau at (617) 727-3020 x490 or fax us at (617) 727-7235 and provide us with an update of your address information. Please include a street or road number with your address update. An accurate address will help you get your mail quicker and save us time and money with our mailings. n

Pesticide Credit Hour Blues?

Once again a few of the licensed applicators audited this year, did not earn the number of credit hours needed to renew their license. Earning credit hours is a requirement for licensed and certified pesticide applicators. Complying with this requirement is a responsibility that can be easily managed. The following points lay down the foundation on which you can build compliance.

First and foremost, the number of credit hours you are required to obtain within a three year period is as follows:

n Dealer License - 3 credit hrs.

n Commercial Applicator License (core) - 6 credit hrs.

n Private Certification - 12 credit hrs. per category

n Commercial Certification - 12 credit hrs. per category

For example: If an individual is privately certified in both the tree fruit and vegetable category, he needs to earn 24 credit hrs. in a three year period.

Secondly, please remember that the number of credit hours earned at each training session are maintained by you alone! For each approved training session attended you will receive a certificate of attendance. The certificate of attendance will tell you the number of credit hours that you have earned through attending that workshop. Save these certificates of attendance!

The third and final point is that there are several ways to

obtain pesticide credits hrs. Listed below are some of the options.

Option 1. One of the most popular ways that individuals choose to obtain credits, is by attending pesticide workshops given through the MASS Extension. Each year, Natalia Clifton - Pesticide Education Coordinator sends all licensed applicators a newsletter titled Massachusetts Pesticide News. This publication lists and describes the dates, times, and locations of the workshops given statewide. A workshop registration form with instructions is included in the newsletter. The Massachusetts Pesticide News, a publication separate from the Pesticide Bureau News, is normally mailed out each year at the end of January. When you receive your copy, please post and save it for reference. If you did not receive a copy please call Natalia Clifton at (413) 545-1044.

Option 2. Another way one can obtain credits is to attend approved training sessions through professional trade associations. We have listed below a number of associations and their contact person for further information. If you choose to join one of these organizations, you will find that these groups often sponsor approved training sessions several times each year.

New England Pest Control Association

Contact: Don Rivard, Executive Director

Tel: (781) 899-5843

FAX: (781) 642-0693

E-mail: drivard522@aol.com

Massachusetts Arborists Association

Contact: M. Virginia Wood

Tel: (508) 653-3320

FAX: (508) 653-4112

E-mail: MAarbAssn@aol.com

Associated Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts

Contact: Jennifer W. Barth, Executive Director

Tel: (508) 653-3373

FAX: (508) 653-4112

E-mail: alcm@aol.com

Option 3. A third way to obtain credit hrs. is through the company by which you purchase your pesticides. Many reputable distributors and dealers of pesticides sponsor and provide training to their clients. Many of these programs are approved by the Department.

Option 4. Obtaining credit hrs. by taking correspondence courses is gaining popularity. There are a number of approved correspondence courses that are available to you.

The Professional Lawn Care Association of America and the University of Georgia offer an approved-for-credit independent study course titled the "Principles of Turfgrass Management". For further information call the Georgia Center for Continuing Education at (706) 542-1756.

Purdue University offers several approved self-directed learning correspondence courses for PCOs on Urban IPM, Food Plant Pest Management and Pest Control Technology. For more information call Jenny Towler - Program Manager at the Purdue Continuing Education Center at 765-494-2748.

Option 5. You can receive credit hrs. for attending relevant courses at your local community college, through teaching courses or training sessions and through publishing pesticide related articles.

As the above examples show, there are many opportunities to obtain pesticide continuing education credit and the current requirements are very minimal. The bottom line is that if you do not want to retake an exam to be relicensed or recertified, attend the training opportunities that are available to you. DO IT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER! n

Pesticide Use Reporting Is a Requirement In Massachusetts

In 1992 the Pesticide Bureau initiated the development of the Pesticide Use Reporting program. This program requires all licensed and certified applicators to report what pesticide products and the amounts they used to the Pesticide Bureau. Failure to report this information is considered a violation. The Department encourages all applicators to complete and submit the use report upon receipt.

Once the Bureau receives the use reports, the data is entered into a relational database known as the Pesticide Data System (PDS). We currently have 5 years worth of data that report on the total amounts of pesticides used in the Commonwealth. This data allows us to examine trends in pesticide use, such as the use of potential groundwater contaminants in Massachusetts.

In 1997 we further developed the capabilities of the PDS to "flag" those applicators that did not submit a Pesticide Use Report. This function generates a list of applicators who have not submitted a use report for a particular year. This added feature will assist Pesticide Bureau enforcement staff with their ongoing efforts in pesticide law compliance and monitoring.

To assure that applicators were aware of the penalties of not submitting their use reports, an Important Regulatory Advisory was sent to applicators in our database with past reporting discrepancies for reporting years 1993 through 1996. It is understood that applicators may have submitted these forms and something beyond their control may have caused this discrepancy. However, we must stress that beginning with the 1997 Use Report we will be cross-referencing all submitted data. Applicators that fail to submit Use Reports will lose their renewal eligibility.

Below are listed the three filing options we included with each 1997 Use Report.

1. If you DID NOT USE ANY PESTICIDES during 1997, state this on the Use Report and submit it by March 31, 1998.

2. If you worked for an EMPLOYER THAT REPORTS PESTICIDE USE FOR ITS EMPLOYEES, make sure they submit on your behalf by the deadline.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your employer submitted a Use Report on your behalf.

3. If you used pesticides in 1997 and your EMPLOYER DOES NOT REPORT FOR ITS EMPLOYEES, you must complete and submit your Use Report by March 31, 1998.

Individuals should find the following TIPS on filling out a Pesticide Use Report form helpful.

* TIPS How to Fill in the Use Report *

F Be consistent with Employer Information section. In other words, if you worked for "Green Thumb Pest Control" in 1996 and 1997, the name of your employer should read "Green Thumb Pest Control" on both the 1996 and 1997 use reports.

Even minor inconsistencies in the employers name may lead to multiple files for the same business entity. For example:

* Green Thumb Pest Control; * The Green Thumb;

* Green Thumbs; etc. would all be treated as different companies.

F Report the EPA Reg. No. not the EPA Est. No., in the appropriate column of the Use Report. Note: There are no lettersin the EPA Reg. No..

F Hyphens that separate numbers in the EPA Reg. No. must be included when you report this number.

For example:

EPA Reg. No. 75610 - 193 - 23

F Note that there are only four choices in the Method of Application column.

Methods other than Aerial (A), Chemigation (C), or Soil Incorporated (S) are included in the Other (O) designation.

For example the method of application for indoor pest control would be considered Other (O).

F Use only the names of crops or sites from the list provided when choosing an answer for this column.

F Please use the appropriate weights and measures shown on the instruction form. Do not use metric measurements e.g. liters, grams, etc.

Units such as cups and tablespoons are also not acceptable.

F The column Total Amount of Concentrate Applied equals the amount of product used from the container.

For example, pesticide XYZ is a powder. Ten pounds of XYZ were used throughout the year. Ten pounds should be entered into the dry column for the Total Amount of Concentrate Applied.

* TIPS Before Mailing *

F Double check that all license names and license numbers are reported correctly.

F After filling out your Use Report, make a photocopy of it. Save this copy for your records.

F Send your completed Use Report to the Pesticide Bureau by certified mail/return receipt.

The Pesticide Bureau will continue to monitor the reporting of pesticide use for 1997. Once again applicators are urged to take notice that failure to submit a Use Report will result in loss of certification and license renewal eligibility.

We hope that this advisory will remind and encourage applicators to submit their forms on time. If you have any questions on the Pesticide Use Reporting Program, please call the Pesticide Bureau at 617/727-3020 extension 130.n

1998 * Pesticide Exam Schedule * 1998

Examples of Proper Pesticide Use Reporting

The three examples cited below show how the Pesticide Use Report Form should be completed using the appropriate information.

* A = Aerial; C = Chemigation/Irrigation; S = Soil Incorporated; O = Other

If you have any questions regarding the Use Reports please contact the Pesticide Bureau at (617) 727-3020.